On October 26th, I had an amazing opportunity to attend U-Nite at the Crocker Art Museum celebrated by Sacramento State’s College of Arts and Letters. U-Nite is a celebration of the arts, a collaboration of creativity and a showcase for students and faculty speakers to perform their own ideas to create inspiring thoughts for our community. It was a beautiful night filled with entertaining dance performances, short film screenings and animated author readings.
There were performances ranging from topics such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement, to traditional ethnic dances. Imagine a beautiful, open space, covered with art, now filled with these amazing speakers and dancers- how cool is that? This was not your average museum snooze-fest, but rather a night to feel truly connected with the students and faculty of Sacramento State University, and also the Sacramento community.
Photo Courtesy of Guinnevere King
One performance from the evening that really stood out to me, was the Sones Jarochos de Veracruz. I have been fortunate to visit a great portion of Mexico while growing up, as my family is from Mexico City, and Veracruz is one of my favorite states. This coastal region is known for their Afro-Latino influence in their music and food. The traditional dancers are referred to jarochos. The men typically dress in all white with red neckties, and the women wear a predominantly white dress, with a vibrant flower crown and black, lace apron. Fun fact: my dad bought me this outfit when I was four, and would make me wear it around the house-ha! The performers danced to lively music mainly composed with a harp and a mandolin. The dance also took place outside, in the Main Courtyard. The atmosphere outside, under the stars, made it much more whimsical to experience the beauty of the Hispanic culture. The must-see part of this performance and my favorite to watch was how they tied a big red bow, with their feet while dancing!
Photo Courtesy of Guinnevere King
Another performance I enjoyed was Our Backs… and Leanin’ In. This dance performance focused on the intersections of race in America, which was built on the backs of black slavery and the “Black Lives Matter” movement. While its message may first appear rather somber, it was very powerful and inspiring to watch. It embodied the idea of unity. The event, after all, was named “U-Nite”, as in unite…get it? Ha! Bernard Brown, who is an assistant professor at Sacramento State, is an artist, activist and choreographed the dance performance.
The evening brought students, faculty and the entire Sacramento community to experience a meaningful, yet entertaining performances in a positive, vibrant atmosphere. It was great to see the community come together to witness and support some of the best creativity representing Sacramento State’s campus community. Being a film major myself, I was so pleased and inspired to see a strong performance background from Sacramento State’s College of Arts and Letters. U-Nite was an amazing event to attend and I am so excited to see what will be happening for next time! If you didn’t get the chance to attend U-Nite, but would like a video recap or learn more about the presenters here.