Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Dec. 30, 2004, edition 1 / Page 22
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Photos by Kev in Walker Warren Moore ploys his shakera as the ceremony gets started. Kwanzaa from page Ct part of the show. They were first called on to take part in the libation - a part of the pro gram in which a plant is watered as people call out the names of people who have passed from this world into the next. Guests called out the names of their loved ones and African-American icons such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman. Some in the audience did not mind being made active program participants Sunday. In fact. Warren Moore came prepared. Moore, th6 band director at Hanes Middle School, brought his own African shaker.a from home. Made of calabash gourds and beads, the instrument creates an infectious rhythm when maneuvered by hand. Moore and his family regu larly take part in Kwanzaa activities. His wife. Georjean Moore, is a dancer in the Ote sha Creative Arts Ensemble. The dance and drumming troupe has become the center piece at local Kwanzaa cele brations. "Kwanzaa is a chance for me to get in touch with cul ture." Warren Moore said. Sunday's event was big on culture. Organizers put togeth er a program that effectively fused black arts and culture. The result was memorable, according to attendees. Besides bringing a joyful noise and energetic dancing to the evening. Otesha members performed several spoken word pieces. One featured Georjean Moore dancing gracefully as her mother. Jean Rohr. recited the words of James Weldon Johnson's "The Creation." Another segment featured local actors performing excerpts from the ( play "Sojourn to Freedom." The play, written by mother and daughter playwrights Sharon and LeShea Agnew, tells the story of local African-Ameri can history-makers who made Winston-Salem great. Geraldine Lewis, a partici pant in the Urban League Senior AIDE program, also performed. She brought down the house with a gospel inter pretive dance piece. The energy and quality of Sunday's program won over Donald McLendon. It was McLendon's first-ever Kwan zaa program but not his last. "It was just awesome," he said. Part of McLendon's excitement came from his moment in the spotlight as members of Otesha invited him up to dance along with them. McLendon wasn't shy. His moves sent the audience into a frenzy. "I did not know that I was coming here to dance tonight, but I had a good time," he said. Remaining Kwanzaa events: ? Tonight ( Thursday ) at Grace Presbyterian Church (3901 Carver School Road) at 6 p.m. ' Friday at the Carver School Road Branch Library at J p.m. The Healing Force will perform. ? Saturday at Emmanuel Baptist Church (1075 Shali mar Drive) at 5 p.m. Actress Keyonna Murrell performs in "Sojourn to Freedom Donald McLendon claps his hands to the sounds of drums. Alvin Borders helps Delores Wylie with the libation during Sunday's ceremony. Spoken-word artist Aaron Salley performs. G e o r j e a n Moore dances behind her mother , Jean Rohr. The two per formed " The Creation." Left: Dandara Boyd leads the way as a group of women try to mimic her African dance moves. Right: Queen Qlufemi Elom shows some of her oils to a Kwanzaa guest. She sold some of her Afrocentric items at Sunday's event.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Dec. 30, 2004, edition 1
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