Ethnic groups share traditional dances

Climbing the stairs to Panasci Lounge Saturday afternoon, the beat of the drums turned from faint to deafening. The sounds of the Sudanese drum fell in perfect sync with the feet of the dancers slamming on the blue carpet.

Cultural groups shared their traditions with the Syracuse University community through music and dance at Panasci Lounge Saturday. The Syracuse DiDinga community - a small, close-knit group living in Syracuse that came to America more than six years ago as Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan - performed traditional dances alongside members of Onondaga Nation, Syracuse's Congo community, Liberian natives, local Vietnamese and Oneida Nation.

Panasci Lounge, typically used by students as a study space, transformed into a haven for minority groups to share their heritage.

Rows of chairs lined the carpet in front of a spotlighted stage, where performers displayed native dances and beats often staged at the beginning of traditional ceremonies in their home countries.

Syracuse DiDinga community members kicked off the event with a performance of the Nyakorot, a dance that takes place after harvest. The tradition is part of an important celebration for the DiDinga, particularly for young, unmarried men who court young, single women at the Nyakorot with their bull songs, said Felicia "Fay" McMahon, a part-time professor at SU and coordinator for Saturday's event.

Darius Makuja, a professor at Le Moyne College, introduced the Syracuse DiDinga and took part in the Nyakorot. Before a packed lounge, he performed his bull song, which he said maintains powerful roots in his life, despite living in the United States for a number of years.

"In the DiDinga, you can never dance without singing the bull song," he said. "I'm always privileged to see my brothers and sisters sharing our culture."

Thirteen dancers, their bodies coated in white paint symbols, delivered a line of claps, jumps, whistles, drums and screams. Nikes and Sketchers adorned the feet of the eight male dancers who slammed against the carpet, creating a beat for the rest to follow.

After the performance, an audience member praised the raw display of culture she watched.

"You've got to give credit where credit is due," she said between sets. "They can do things with their bodies and drums that we just haven't quite figured out yet."

Before their performance ended, the Syracuse DiDinga entered the crowd and took audience members on stage to join them in song and dance.

Other highlights from Saturday's event include performances from a local Vietnamese family who shared their traditional "Dragon Dance," meant to bring good luck to everyone in the room. A large red drum formed a beat as the father and son, dressed in a bright yellow dragon suit, jumped on the blue carpet floor. All Vietnamese festivals begin with a performance of the "Dragon Dance," the father said.

The father of a family from the Democratic Republic of Congo who has lived in Syracuse for seven years explained why Americans should help those suffering in Congo.

"In Congo, we have about six million people who've been killed in the last decade," Cipriam Mohingo said. "We've had 200,000 women brutally raped. We sing about the sorrow of others. We sing today about breaking the silence."

The Liberian Dreamgirls, a group of six girls, performed two sets. Unlike the Lost Boys, the females danced barefoot, waving their hands in the air and pounding them against their chests.

Tables with various cultural objects and hand-made artifacts formed a circle in the entrance to Panasci. Onondaga Nation's booth presented a number of lacrosse sticks, ranging in stick and head size. The sport - recently popularized among colleges in the Northeast - was originally used by Native Americans as a means of conflict resolution, training for young warriors and a religious ritual. The Native American running the booth said his people believe lacrosse was given to them by the Creator.

McMahon has been working with the Syracuse DiDinga since 2001. Her main role involves finding public venues for fundraising events. She said working with the DiDinga has taught her a great amount about the Sudanese culture.

"I was working with other groups when I first heard about the Lost Boys," McMahon said. "I felt that if I didn't help them to facilitate and communicate who they were by finding venues for them, I wasn't sure anyone else would."

dsbortz@syr.edu