Sankofa 2025: Black power through the performing arts

Sankofa 2025

Photo: Sankofa performers signing opening song

Sankofa performers signing opening song

On Thursday, Feb. 6, Sankofa began its first of three-day performances to pay homage to Black culture during Black History Month. This year’s showcase commemorated artists James Earl Jones, Quincy Jones, and Nikki Giovanni and centered its performances around personal identity.

The production followed five students at a performing arts school and their difficulties as they pursued their artistic craft. At the center of this dilemma was Terrence (senior Darreyl Wormley) and his struggle with maintaining an inauthentic persona as he jostled against pressures from family, friends, and life alike. Wormley did an exceptional job capturing the internal struggle that his character faced. The writing’s constant use of imagery to highlight the metaphorical, overbearing pressures pressing down on the character only furthered the impact of Wormley’s performance.

The production, entirely student selected and created, opened with the Kirk Franklin edition of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice.” This was followed by a monologue structured around the repetition of "I am" after every powerful motif. This smoothly transitioned into the show’s first song, “Young, Gifted, and Black,” leading into an audition scene where the main characters showed their talents.

The creative structure of the production was emotionally and visually engaging. Initially, it was set up in a way that juxtaposed two ends of auditioning, with one side of the stage serving as an audition and the other as a reflection on the pressure that comes with having to perform. The use of lighting during this act, particularly when focused on a single performer, created an outline of the characters on a white backdrop, in a way showing the two sides of performing. The lighting design further helped establish the difference between audition and performance, by highlighting one side of the stage vs the other. As the plot developed, the scenery followed. It was overall very indicative of a high school friend group’s life, with sets being centered around a hangout spot, a high school cafeteria, and the outside of a performing arts school.

The performances weaved between the story were very energetic, the show used dances and recitations of poetry to reflect the emotions and conflicts the characters experienced, so they aligned very clearly with the original plot. One standout example was when Terrence and Raven (senior Susae Shiferaw) got into an argument, but dancers came in and reflected the emotions of the two sides as they split into two groups. The argument lingered in the backdrop as a representation of the emotions the dancers had to evoke; in a way working as a dance battle reminiscent of the ones in West Side Story. 

Throughout the show, the themes transitioned from the struggles of performing to a broader exploration of Black culture. The dance performances were notably lively, while other segments focused on real-life issues.

This was shown in the soundtracks played by the band (Josh Anderson, Zadie Brown, Kodjo Gati, Ian Ha, Samuel Johnson, Janaki Katz, Alan Lorenzo, Ve Mather, Joseph Meskelu, Melat Ojiaku, Andrew Son, Aurelia Smith, Salem Tadesse, Stella Theisman, and Cheyenne Thiero), which added to the overall enjoyment of the performance. At times, the show was very serious as student vocalists engaged in genres like jazz, then it transitioned to a more vibrant performance with dances to prominent contemporary artists like Kendrick Lamar and Doja Cat, keeping the audience engaged and sparking lots of applause and cheers. 

The cast as a whole took on a naturalistic approach to acting. Most of the dialogue felt similar to genuine, everyday conversations, making the characters’ struggles more direct. The performances allowed for deep moments but also opened the floor for exaggerated expressions. This made it seem like it had a Dada influence at times, when normal conversations turned into abstract movements or poetic monologues, counteracting conventional acting.

Sankofa is designed to preserve the diversity of Black culture through mediums such as poetry, dance, and music. This year's performance did not disappoint. The artistic choices and nuance in character portrayals made it a captivating watch. 

Make sure to check out the show on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8 at 7 PM in the Blair Auditorium! Tickets can be found on Instagram @mbhssankofa!