The month of Feb. is dedicated to honoring and celebrating Black History Month. We highlight those who have fought for racial equality, and the contributions that African Americans have made throughout our country’s history. At Pines Charter the Black Student Union (BSU) club hosted their annual BSU showcase on Feb. 27th to bring awareness to students’ talents and heritage.
Seeing the auditorium filled with students, friends, and family, BSU vice president Jhazz Thompson exclaimed “it was so worth it, and [she] wouldn’t change [anything] for [the world].”
This showcase consisted of sixteen acts full of PPCHS dance team and dance classes, an original poem done by juniors Emmanuel Baptiste and Faith Banossian, jazz and FSU percussion performances, skits, fashion club, and so much more.
To ensure everything came out just right, preparation for this showcase began months before the event. Being the head choreographer for dance honors, senior Alinani Hawkins came up with a dance battle between two African American icons Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion.
Being that the class only completed their choreography a week before the show, “the week [prior they] worked hard in class” said Hawkins.
For dance two, their experience with preparations was different. They were informed that they were going to be a part of the show two weeks before the date. “We practiced every class, anytime we could,” says junior Kyra Theodore. Knowing they were one of the first acts made them quite nervous, but when the curtains opened and it was time to perform, they were more than ready.
Having two full days of rehearsals allowed all the performers to have a full run through of their pieces as well as walking through every act of the show to make sure that all the behind the scenes work was taken care of. The rehearsals “made the show more organized,” junior Amariah Ayum expressed.
Junior Carson Modlics set the mood for the night by playing a variety of melodies on the piano as the audience entered the River of Grass auditorium. The BSU board then welcomed the audience with a speech talking about the importance of black representation, and the importance of the night overall.
The atmosphere of the show was exciting, with the crowd cheering the entirety of the show. “The crowd matched the energy of the performance. There wasn’t a moment [during the show] where the crowd was silent,” senior Paola Bastidas revealed.
The BSU showcase accomplished unique performances, bringing the community together, and the club goal of “reclaiming the narrative.”
