Black Arts Company

I pretty much joined the Black Arts Company on a whim. One Sunday way back in September, when I was still trying to figure out why I decided to come to Princeton, a group of sophomores came up to me in Wu dining hall and asked whether I was trying out for BAC. Since this was before the inevitable workload surge, I figured I had nothing to lose by enjoying myself and dancing for a few hours.

I remember going to the audition thinking that it was just going to be a fun time and that I was not going to get nervous at all. I mean, my only dance experience had been trying to work it out at the clubs or goofing off in my room, so I never envisioned myself being in any sort of organized dance group. I had also seen BAC perform, and I figured that it should not be that hard: How difficult could learning a few dance moves be?

Well, after seeing all of the people lined up outside of the Wilcox dance studio, it hit me that there was competition and that simply the booty-shaking skills I acquired back home in Miami were not going to cut it.

I anxiously grabbed a pen and started scribbling on the short questionnaire they gave us. I wondered why, if the audition was supposed to be so informal, did I have to answer all these questions: Experience? None. What can you contribute to the company? Some Latin flair — yes, I was at such a loss for an answer that I settled for that.

Even with the paperwork and the intimidating set of upperclassmen judging who was dance worthy, the auditions actually were laid back. They made us line up and do some dance drills. I thought the exercise would be no problem, but after a while, I felt like I was in ballet boot camp, pirouetting and sacheing interminably on command. I tried to look as graceful as I could, considering that my only ballet experience was prancing around my house inspired by the Nutcracker Ballet I had seen on TV.

Then we had to learn a dance in about half an hour that seemed more complex than an Orgo exam. We performed it in groups of three in front of the panel. I managed to get through the afternoon of "casual dancing" and found out the next day that I was a new member of BAC.

Being a part of the group was exactly what I needed. I arrived on campus thinking that I would never like Princeton because it was completely different from what I was accustomed to: the weather, the people and the attitudes were shockingly different from Miami's. Joining BAC gave me a chance to meet some really awesome people with whom I shared similar interests.

Now flash forward to the present — hell week. I am writing this after dancing from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the muggy and poorly ventilated Forbes Black Box theater. Hell week cannot easily be described . . . actually, who am I kidding? It definitely can be succinctly described — it sucks. The only thing worse than trying to be enthusiastic about being flipped around at 4 a.m. is struggling to stay awake a few hours later in order to take notes on the awe-inspiring subject of the firm in ECO 102.

Many people warned me about this when I first joined, but of course, I, a naïve and optimistic freshman disregarded the warnings as exaggerations. Oh no, they hit the mark. My sleeping pattern has been drastically altered to one of sporadic naps throughout the afternoon. I have had to miss classes and work because of this exhausting schedule. So basically what I am trying to say is that everyone better, I mean should, come out to the show after all the work we have put into it.

I understand that BAC's name may repel some people because they think they would feel out of place. Now, I am not going to go into the racial discussion about how minorities always feel out of place at this school, but I must admit that at first I also felt the company was restricted implicitly to African Americans. I quickly saw that this was not the case.

BAC celebrates the black music culture that has had an unparalleled influence on many other musical genres. Yes, there is a predominance of hip-hop, but who is to say that this automatically excludes certain ethnic groups from enjoying it? Songs like Jay-Z's "Can I Get A . . ." always elicit a tremendous response from the crowds at the 'Street.' Unfortunately, I have had to witness the rhythmless thrusting of the drunken masses — fortunately, the audience at our show can still get as excited about the music, but actually see some good dancing.

Our repertoire for the spring show includes dances to songs by the Counting Crows, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Jay-Z and even a belly-dancing piece. Our performers are equally as diverse: The company comprises African Americans, South Asians, Eastern Europeans, Trinidadians and me, the Cuban. So regardless of what we look like or what you look like, BAC is performing some great dances that will definitely make you throw ya hands up!

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Mayling Ganuza '03 is from Miami, Fla. She can be reached at mganuza@princeton.edu.

The Black Arts Company presents its spring show. Thurs, April 6-Sat, April 8 at 8 p.m. and Sat, April 8 at 2 p.m. in the Forbes Black Box. For reservations, U-CALL BLACK ARTS.