Jelani's 6th Annual Talent Showcase Will be in April 2005, date, time and location TBA. After party to follow.

Jelani...

Bucknell Unviersity's Only Hip Hop Dance Group & Step Team

History

 Jelani, Swahili for mighty, is Bucknell's first and only hip hop dance troupe and step team on campus. Jelani was first established in 1999 by Cheri Skipworth '99 to provide a fun and relaxing atmosphere for everyone, especially those interested in dance, on campus. Our purpose is to create and produce rhythmic movements through dance and step via performances and educational programming that embodies the rhythms of African dance and movement. We want to utilize the powerful tool of rhythm to celebrate, uplift, motivate, and inspire. As a group, we hope to build bridges across cultures, promote diversity, and increase awareness of the rich African American culture. Here is some information about a few of the founding members-

  • Donald E Jones II, class of 2000, is another Jelani alumni. Donald was the first and only male member of Jelani in the first year of its existence. This made him even more unique than he already was. Donald regaled Jelani audiences with his powerful renditions of martial arts mixed in with dancing.
  • Natalie Dawkins, class of 2000, was a part of Jelani in her last year at Bucknell. Natalie was an integral part of Jelani, dancing and supporting the dance team with every step.

 

Jelani @ Cowan Fall'03

  • Cheri Skipworth, class of 2000, is the founder of Jelani. It was through her hard and intense efforts as the first ever president of Jelani to entice members of Bucknell to join in establishing this new organization on campus that Jelani was born. Cheri's dream was to create a dance company at Bucknell that focused on hip-hop dancing, rather than the traditional forms of artistry that had monopolized Bucknell. Since its inception, Jelani has become one of the most respected and recognized performance groups on the Bucknell campus and beyond. Jelani has worked with other universities and organizations such as: Susquehanna University, Bloomsburg University,Yale University, Movements in Motion Arts Collective, and Silky Lee productions.


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    Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837
    © Bucknell University 2003
    http://www.bucknell.edu
    Last Updated: 09/24/04