This weekend, as part of my internship with Save Darfur, I traveled to Philadelphia to a special event held by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company called “Dancing to the Edge of Darfur.” This event brought together ballet dancers, filmmakers, activists and community members for an evening dedicated to artistic expression and raising awareness about the impact that violent conflict has had and continues to have on so many people throughout Sudan.

Darfur - Rebecca Davis Dance Company

Prior to the event, various organizations and members of the dance company’s Board of Trustees had a dinner meeting at the theatre to discuss the connections between art and activism. The group brainstormed ways in which organizations can embrace art to increase awareness about their specific causes, including Darfur, and how to translate this awareness into action.

The highlight of the evening was the performance itself. The Rebecca Davis Dance Company performed four excerpts from its ballet “Darfur” and Rebecca, the owner and head choreographer, spoke about significance of the scenes and her inspiration for the show. Rebecca first became interested in Darfur after reading several articles in the New York Times on the genocide, written by Nicholas Kristof. In an effort to learn more, she picked up Brian Steidle and Gretchen Steidle Wallace’s book The Devil Came on Horseback. This book inspired her to create a ballet which tells the story of a family in Darfur whose lives have been drastically affected by the genocide, as well as the story of those working in the international community to put an end the violence.  In addition to the ballet, clips were shown from Brian Steidle’s film The Devil Came on Horseback and from the documentary Women in War Zones, which focuses on the effects of sexual violence on women in conflict ridden areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Before and after the show, organizations including Save Darfur, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Amnesty International, the Enough Project, the Darfur Information Center and the Darfur Alert Coalition, were able to meet with audience members in the lobby to discuss Darfur and other conflicts. We were thrilled to see how much interest there was following the performance from the audience and the dancers themselves in gaining more information about what was happening and what individuals could do to make a difference.

This production was beautifully put together and I would highly recommend it to anybody who loves dance or is interested in Darfur. For more information on the Rebecca Davis Dance Company and future tour dates for “Darfur” visit www.rebeccadavisdance.com.

Rebecca Dennis is a fall intern at the Save Darfur Coalition