Dancers Pay Homage to Ancestors, Reverence to Body
by Patricia Ngnoumen

Oberlin students gathered in Warner Main Stage last weekend to witness a spectacular dance performance produced by senior Dominique Atchison. Pass Me Not was an arrangement of eight individual pieces that dealt with personal issues that have affected Atchison’s life.

Atchison’s purpose in calling the show Pass Me Not was an attempt to remember and honor her ancestry, particularily the women in her family. “The idea of the show came to me at the end of last semester, and it became clearer after I did some research on my family history this summer,” Atchison said. The phrase “Pass Me Not” is even more meaningful to Atchison, as it is a hymn that was sung to her by her grandmother. As both a hymn that has been passed through many generations and a performance, Pass Me Not evokes a sense of community and collectivity. It becomes a venue through which she is able to unite people, which in this case includes the dialogue between the performers and the audience.
“You can tell that all the participants worked extremely hard to make Dominique’s vision come through,” Sophomore Aaliyah Bilal said. It was a renewing experience. I felt affirmed in this space.”
The audience remained silent and attentive as they watched the first dance scene unravel before their eyes. The dancers dressed in white robes were portrayed picking cotton on a plantation field. Atchison explains that the scene is a representation and acknowledgement of her grandmother, who was a sharecropper. The simplicity and fluidity of this piece left the audience with a peaceful vibe, while at the same time addressing a very painful history and telling a story of survival. In acknowledging and remembering her grandmother’s life in the piece, she was able to not only honor her, but to also honor the experiences of all her ancestors and elders.

Many audience members admired Atchison’s bravery for opening up to a public crowd. “I felt it was very empowering to the whole audience,” said Senior Sarah Goldman. “ I thought it was amazing how Dominique was able to open up to the audience. It takes tremendous courage, because it is such a vulnerable position.”
The third piece included a song titled “Change Gon’ Come.” Initially sung by Sam Cooke, this piece was a dedication to Atchison’s mother. Her beautiful rendition of “Change Gon’ Come” was inspiring, as it delivered a message of hope and perseverance.
Atchison carefully selected each piece to honor and acknowledge important people in her life. She also used Warner as a site where she could express herself, something she succeeded in doing in the piece “Who’s the Nigger on the Bus?” Here, Atchison was able to share her childhood experiences with racism. “That piece was effective,” senior Naima Bond said in response. “It was very personal. Being a black woman, I felt like I could relate to her feelings and experience. Most people can think of an experience where they felt targeted or alone.”

Atchison’s ability to bring together an entire audience shows that she was triumphant in communicating her message. The next two pieces titled “Forgiveness” and “Take it Back” are both equally personal and healing. For example, in “Forgiveness”, Atchison recognizes the “parallels of the presence of women in her family, and the absence of men.”

Before the show’s intermission, the dancers left the audience mesmerized after their finale, “Boogie Down Production.” Atchinson explained that she was born in the South Bronx in the ’80s, the same time and place where hip-hop began. She wanted to express her concern with the way mass media has negatively portrayed hip-hop. By showing a beautiful side of hip-hop, she was able to challenge those negative stereotypes and connotations in “Boogie Down Production.”

The second half of the show was a performance by the Dance Diaspora cast, accompanied by the musical members of Ilu Aiye. Last year, the members of Dance Diaspora had the opportunity to travel to Cuba, with their mentor and advisor Adenike Sharpley. There, they where were able to learn traditional form and dance techniques. Thus, “Dance Diaspora Goes to Cuba,” was a collection of dances from Matanzas, Cuba. Atchison attributed much of the performance’s success to Sharpley. “All this would have never happened without Adenike,” Atchison said. “At the beginning, it [the idea] all seemed so big, but she helped me narrow it down and make it more personal and valuable to me.”
Pass Me Not is a story of survival and celebration. While it may be a personal response to Atchison’s life, it also has a parallel impact on the lives of others. The show served soothing relief to many, because Atchison was able to raise collective feelings of inspiration, hope and joy through her work. The performers, both dancers and musicians, were equally dedicated in establishing Atchison’s vision. “We (Dance Diaspora) came together even more during tech week, and we worked very hard,” junior and Dance Diaspora dancer Taye Amegboh said. “We really united. I began to understand more and more what the purpose of the show was.”