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 on August 26th 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.
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.
