Year in Review (2011-2012).

This past year has been a blessed one. Last summer, I participated in a series of entrepreneurship training sessions hosted by Urban League New Orleans. Through this, I was able to work with a consultant, plan my nonprofit, and legally register it as The Cocoon: Youth Empowerment Program. I also participated as an intern with Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leadership Intensive, a 10-day intensive that brings together artists and social justice workers for a transformative, analytical, and life-altering experience. Included in this intensive was an Understanding and Undoing Racism workshop held by People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond.

This year has been full of life-changing experiences. I had the blessed experience of travelling to Ghana for a study abroad program in the fall semester. I spent the semester learning traditional dances and drum rhythms of Ghana, both through University of Ghana courses and through private lessons, offered by the university and with Noyam Dance Company. The Noyam Dance Company was founded by professor F. Nii Yartey, the former artistic director of the Ghana Dance Ensemble and of the National Dance Company of Ghana at the National Theatre. I also spent the semester in Twi language courses, and immersed myself in the conversation with my friends in the Twi language while I was there.

I was able to participate in two “international” events while in Ghana. The first was a UNESCO Michael Jackson Peace Concert, a youth concert in October that took place at the university. It was amazing, and quite challenging. 

The second event involved one of my close friends, a singer named Fritz. He shot a music video right before Christmas, his version of “Oh Holy Night,” and I had the pleasure of being an extra in the video, a video that circulated in Ghana after I left. It was an amazing experience being backstage for that.

Ghana was amazing; I climbed a mountain, swam in waterfalls, ate great food and amazingly sweet fruit, went to soccer games, and learned azonto, the newest social dance of youth in Ghana.

I returned to Swarthmore in the spring and threw myself into my work. I decided to work on a piece in the student dance concert called [porcupines.], a result of a semester’s exploration of intimacy, trust, and vulnerability. I also had the honor of being the MC for a concert at Haverford called Ghana Music/Global Entrepreneurship. It was an amazing concert, and resulted in me being in another (impromptu) music video, a live performance version of Paapa(a Ghanaian gospel artist)’s azonto version of his song “Dear Grace.”

After finals, I had the opportunity to travel with the Swarthmore College Alumni Gospel Choir to perform and tour in China for ten days. We travelled from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, and then to Shanghai, Xi’an, and Beijing. We performed at two schools. I toured, shopped, and even climbed the Great Wall! Then it was back to Swarthmore. I attended graduation and alumni weekend, and then got started on my summer project. I’ve been awarded a Starfield Student Research grant to study dance organizations. I am analyzing three organization’s models for community engagement.

-be.blessed