Community Celebration
The Inauguration of Jim Yong Kim as 17th President of Dartmouth
The Convocation of the College's 240th Year
1-3 p.m., Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Please join us after the conclusion of the 11 a.m. Inauguration Ceremony for our Community Celebration. The Celebration features student performers, as well as international foods that incorporate many locally produced ingredients, prepared by Dartmouth Dining Services, the Hanover Inn, and local purveyors Gusanoz, Tastes of Africa, and Yama. The rain location is Leede Arena.
Performers (in order of appearance)
Emcee
Ijeabalum P. “Lou Lou” Igbokwe ’10
Dartmouth College Gospel Choir
with Heidi J. Kim, soprano
Walt L. Cunningham, Jr., Director
The Dartmouth College Gospel Choir performs a diverse array of traditional and cutting-edge gospel music. Its repertoire ranges from spirituals to modern-day contemporary hits, including a number of non-traditional, innovative surprises. The Gospel Choir has performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, and President Barack Obama’s inaugural festivities. Offering a universal message of inspiration and hope, the Gospel Choir invites its audiences to experience the power of music and song.
Chinese Dance Troupe
Founded in 1996 as an extension of the Dartmouth Asian Organization, the Chinese Dance Troupe seeks to create opportunities for Chinese cultural performance. The Troupe explores a variety of East Asian dances and dance styles, among them the Chinese Lion Dance, the Filipino Tinikling dance, traditional Tibetan and Mongolian dance styles, and modern Chinese dance. In addition to performing for the Dartmouth community and at cultural shows, the Troupe’s dancers work to serve the community by offering free Chinese dance classes for local children and youth.
Dartmouth Idol Performers
Dartmouth Idol, inspired by the hit show American Idol, is a singing competition for Dartmouth undergraduates. It is produced by the Hopkins Center for the Arts and directed by Walter L. Cunningham, Jr. For the last two years, the event has brought Dartmouth College’s talented singers together to compete in a spirit of celebration and good will. Dartmouth Idol’s 2009 first and second-place winners will perform on the Celebration stage:
- Michael C. Odokara-Okigbo ’12, First Place
Planning to major in global health, tenor Michael Odokara-Okigbo hails from Portland, Maine. He is a member of the varsity rowing team and the Dartmouth Aires a cappella group. - Courtney A. Davis ’09, Second Place
During her time at Dartmouth, Courtney Davis majored in theater modified with English and was active in theater department productions. Since graduation, the Colorado native and mezzo soprano has been spending her time developing her skills as a performer.
FUSION Dance Ensemble
FUSION Dance Ensemble is a student-run, multigenre dance group. Choreographing its own pieces, the Ensemble performs in a variety of styles, including jazz, hip-hop, modern, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and swing.
The Rockapellas
The Rockapellas, a Dartmouth women’s a cappella singing group, dedicates itself to spreading messages of social justice through song. Also featured in its repertoire are a variety of pop, rock, country, and classic oldies pieces. Now in their 21st year, the Rockapellas have released seven albums. The group performs at a variety of venues on and off campus.
Dartmouth Dance Theater Ensemble
Ford Evans, Artistic Director and Adjunct Professor of Theater
Mayuka Kowaguchi ’11 and Ariel N. Murphy ’12, soloists
The Dartmouth Dance Theater Ensemble, the Hopkins Center Dance Program’s student performing group, provides a showcase for student and professional choreographers. Ensemble members perform a breadth of styles and content representing the scope of contemporary modern dance. Since the group’s inception in 1999, student members as well as guest and faculty choreographers have created more than 25 new works, including five evening-length premieres. The Ensemble performs locally, nationally, and internationally, and participates in community outreach throughout New England.
The Cords
Members of the Cords, one of the College’s male a cappella ensembles, are easily recognizable in their signature corduroy attire. The Cords perform at a variety of venues on and off campus. Recent highlights include engagements at several major league sporting events and at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The group’s repertoire covers a wide range of musical genres, from pop, rock, and hip-hop to barber shop numbers. They have produced several albums, including their newest CD, No Size Fits All.
Vandana
Vandana is Dartmouth’s South Asian dance group. Embracing both traditional and modern South Asian dance, the group draws inspiration from a variety of styles originating from South Asia, including Bhangra, Garba, Bollywood, Bharatanatyam, and hip-hop fusion. Vandana regularly performs at cultural events both on and off campus, and also has participated in competitions in the Northeast.
X.ado
X.ado (pronounced: ZAH-doh) is Dartmouth College’s co-ed Christian a cappella group. The group’s pieces mix the singing of real words, made-up words (such as “jen doo bahp weeaaorw doh”), and various percussive sounds. Its repertoire features contemporary Christian rock and praise songs as well as more traditional choral pieces and hymns. Skits and choreography are included in the group’s sets.
Barbary Coast Jazz Combo
Don Glasgo, Director
The Coast Combo, comprising six to eight horn players and a rhythm section, draws its membership from Dartmouth’s 18-piece Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble. The Ensemble specializes in the music of the African-American and Afro-Caribbean jazz traditions. Its wide-ranging repertoire extends from original compositions and arrangements by its director and students to works by Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, and various contemporary jazz composers; from the Latin jazz of Ray Santos to the challenging Conductions of Butch Morris; and from New Orleans brass band music and Big Band Funk to the out-of-this-world compositions of Sun Ra.
The Decibelles
The repertoire of the Decibelles, an all-female a cappella group founded in 1976, features a variety of music including modern pop and rock tunes, traditional Dartmouth songs, oldies, and barbershop. In addition to performing frequently on the Dartmouth campus, the Decibelles sing at other colleges, community events throughout the Upper Valley, and Dartmouth alumni clubs.
Caterers
The Community Celebration features international foods that incorporate many locally produced ingredients, prepared by Dartmouth Dining Services, the Hanover Inn, and local purveyors Gusanoz, Tastes of Africa, and Yama.
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