Performance Art

*break it down*

Dance: Melanin Flame

Fire

Melanin Flame is an explosive dance choreographed to Cozy by Beyoncé. It embodies the element of Fire and how HBCU living is being comfortable in your blackness and personality. Dance is a form of expression. It is the perfect way to show how you love being a part of your community.

By: Jasmina Hinton, Maddie Jones, Brooklyn Momon,

Danielle Ridgeway, Barbara Thurmond, & Victoria Woodward

Visual Arts: Reflections of the Elements

Earth, Fire, Air, Water

Reflections of the Elements features live painters with the canvas being the painters' own clothes. During the festival, the artists will paint on each other’s garments, taking inspiration from the scene around them.

By: Corinne Adams,

Haniyah Hakim, & Maris Hayes

Visual Art: Framing the 4 Elements

Earth, Fire, Air, Water

Framing the 4 Elements is an audience-centered, picture experience during the duration of the event. Armed with 4 frames, and a projector containing images that reference earth, fire, water, and air, viewers can come and experiment with the materials. Imagery and creativity rule the space for this piece, and there is no limit to the art that can be created with these frames.

By: Jamea Beavers, Sydney Dixon,

Akili Gantt, & Imani Jenkins

Visual Arts: Thriving in our HBCU Element

Earth, Fire, Air, Water

Thriving in our HBCU Element is an interactive painting that showcases natural elements, air, earth, water, and fire, as well as elements of HBCU life. Painted on canvas are letters, "HBCU" and "AUC." Each letter represents a natural element. Guests are encouraged to come up and fill in the letters. Audience participation is the element of creativity and connection/unity among HBCU students. This also emphasizes the importance of art.

*FUND THE ARTS (IN THE AUC)!!!*

By: Kenzie Lumas-Harmon & Madison Doss

Performance: a love letter to my hair

Water

This duo performance piece explores the black hair journey. Hair is an important part of Black women's identity. It often shapes how we see and feel about ourselves. This piece addresses the elements of self-love, self-care, and embracing all that you are.

Water is represented here. The black hair journey is erratic. It experiences ups and downs like the flow of water.

By: Jada Darden & Ariel Jones

Performance: Relax Relate Release

Earth

Let's all hang out at a slumber party! Performer McKenzie Franklin invokes a feeling of nostalgia by encouraging the audience to relax, relate, and release. Audience members are grounded by participating in crafty activities and enjoying fun conversation. The purpose of this piece is to highlight the beauty and importance of friendship and community. College can be stressful and returning to play is an act of self-care.

By: McKenzie Franklin

Performance: Déjà Vu

Air & Time

In this immersive lecture performance, the audience enters a seemingly normal classroom environment but eventually, the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred by obscuring the element of time.

By: Sydney DuPree

Performance: ELEMENTAL

While fire can be damaging, it can also purge the impurities out of objects. Water is the fluidity of identity. Earth is the grounding of identity. Air is the liberation of identity. The poems in this spoken word performance were created in response to the question, "What is a pivotal story in your life that has affected your identity?". The stories gathered reflect on the performers' complex identities and aim to help someone in the audience.

Earth, Fire, Air, Water

By: Amaya Starks, Crystal Ike, Malaika Ricks,

& Raniah Strickland

Relational Aesthetics: The Family Reunion

Fire

The Family Reunion is a collective performance that represents togetherness and celebrates the art of community. Here, members of the audience will join festival participants in celebrating the labors of this festival.

Those who join this celebration are urged to not be afraid of expressing themselves. They are encouraged to do what we do and have a little fun. *wink wink*

uh oh....y'all know what time it is!

By: Jasmine Hill & Devontae Patterson