Southampton, NY On Our Toes in The
Hamptons, the 6th annual
visit of Ronald K. Brown’s world
acclaimed Evidence, A Dance Company to
the East End proved to be once again
one of the most electrifying cultural
events of the summer season. Held this
year at the Watermill aerie of the
Honorable Bernard Jackson and his
wife Joyce Mullins-Jackson, vice
chairman of the Evidence Board of
Directors, the late afternoon fete drew
over 300 luminaries from across the
country including First Lady of New
York, Michelle Paterson, award winning
actress, Lynn Whitefield,
Christian Dior President Stephane
Barraque, Uptown Magazine’s
Jocelyn Taylor and scores more of
the Hamptons’ & New York’s most
glittering movers
and shakers.
The very social Alicia Bythewood
chaired the event which began with
drinks poolside under bright sunny
skies. Guests munched on a dazzling
array of seafood appetizers from The
Seafood Shop including Spicy mini crab
cakes to the quintessential Hamptons
treat tiny lobster rolls washing it all
down with chilled Veuve Clicquot
Champagne or the specially created 10
Cane Rum Toe Tapper.
Ms. Bythewood
led a dynamic committee assisting her in
making this the premiere African
American cultural event of the season
including fashion designer b Michael,
Gail Monroe Perry, Harriet Michel, Brian
and Mira Mullins, Ronald K. Brown, Donna
Williams. Reginald Van Lee, Neil R.
Lowe, Joyce Mullins-Jackson, Reggie
Canal, Leslie Mays, Zaid Abdul-Aleem,
Dwayne Ashley, Monica F. Azare, Joanne
E. Hill, Andrea Hoffman, Sandra D.
Jackson-Dumont,
James Sullivan,
Jocelyn
Taylor, Ancy Verdier,
Lisa B. Walker
and Reginald Van Lee..
Despite the current economic stress,
Evidence received extraordinarily
generous support for the event from
sponsors HSBC Premier, 10 Cane
Rum/Moet Hennessey, Prudential,
Continental Airlines, Essence,
Abyssinian Development Corporation
and Uptown Magazine. Christian
Dior provided gift bags. Media
Sponsor was Hamptons.com. The
event was coordinated by
The JFM Group.
Following cocktails African drummers led
the way through the dense woods to the
massive party tent transformed into an
island paradise by interior designer
Anthony Bell and Deanna Annis of
The Furniture Garden. Former CBS
Early Show co-host Rene Syler
emceed the afternoon’s proceedings and
proved she has a second career in comedy
if she so desires. The delightful Syler
introduced the company’s new executive
director Bruce Michael who laid out some
of the plans fro the troupe’s upcoming
25th anniversary season in
2010 including a State Department
sponsored tour of Africa, performances
at the Vancouver International Dance
Festival, a marvelous book chronicling
the troupe’s 25 year journey and a major
gala in late winter.
There were numerous luxury items
auctioned off including dazzling
bejeweled Christian Dior watches which
Jocelyn Taylor modeled, a one of
a kind pen created to commemorate
Mathew Henson, the first
African-American to reach the South Pole
and a once-in-a lifetime chance to go
behind the scenes with the famed
Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. As
well, many wonderful luxury items and
once in a lifetime experiences were
available for bidding through September
2 on
www.CharityBuzz.com such as lunch
with legendary Essence Magazine editor
Susan L. Taylor and a private
clarinet lesson from world renowned
musician Anthony McGill principal
clarinetist with the Metropolitan Opera
Orchestra. And if your taste runs to the
more adventurous and you dream of being
Tom Cruise, how
about a
fighter pilot experience and dog fight
for 2 (each guest flies separate
aircrafts) Over one hour dog fight
between you and your guest where you
will be doing all of the flying except
takeoff and landing. Both attendees will
receive a video tape of their flight
experience. Post flight skill and
maneuver analysis are also included.
But the highlight of the event is always
the performance by the company. Brown
himself danced the powerful “For You” to
Donny Hathaway’s popular tune “A Song
for You” sung live by Gordon
Chambers. The afternoon closed with
the spirited and emotional “Walk Out the
Dark” performed by 4 members of the
company. At the end of the dance Brown
and the rest of the company joined the
dancers on stage for an impromptu dance
finale that incorporate the whole
audience.
About Evidence, A Dance Company
The mission of Evidence, Inc. is to
promote understanding of the human
experience in the African Diaspora
through dance and storytelling. The
Company’s performances provide sensory
connections to history and tradition
through music, movement, and spoken
word, leading deeper into issues of
spirituality, community responsibility
and liberation.
In addition to public performances,
Evidence sponsors outreach programs,
workshops, master classes and
educational activities for dance
enthusiasts of all ages. Evidence, A
Dance Company is a Brooklyn-based
nonprofit organization founded by
Choreographer and Artistic Director
Ronald K. Brown. The company tours to
some 30 communities around the world
annually. It has also traveled overseas
to Cuba, Brazil, England, France,
Greece, Hungary, Mexico and Senegal to
perform, teach master classes and
conduct lecture / demonstrations for
young people. For more information about
Evidence and its 25th
Anniversary activities visit
www.evidencedance.com.