This Saturday evening, Oct. 10, I attended a performance at the Prince Music Theater that affected me and everyone in attendance. Rebecca Davis’ Dancing to the Edge of Darfur was a night of dance, film, music and lectures that brought much needed attention to the very troubled, violent part of Sudan called Darfur, where genocide has been taking place for far too long.

The show was packed with facts about the region, putting the artistic performances into context. This allowed the audience to get the most out of the dances with greater artistic understanding.

The performance was divided into four sections: Conditions Leading to Genocide, The Family Unit, Sexual Assault as a Tool of War and Power of the Individual. It began with images of Africa, a powerful drum beat, and then an interpretative dance set to George Clooney’s speech about Darfur to the U.N. This was immediately followed by an introduction by host David Brown where he requested that the audience keep an open, compassionate mind, ready to be inspired. He also made it clear that the night was a call to action: “Tonight is about using art to inspire action,” said Brown.

The background visuals, modern, emotional music and interpretative dance worked well with the information being presented; it was a great balance. A screen showed short films and during the dances displayed different colors resembling African sunsets and sunrises. This set the tone well, providing setting, mood, and additional visual stimulation.

Rebecca Davis, the event’s artistic director and choreographer, then gave an introduction to the evening, stating the purpose of the performance, noting that “The root evil of human beings is genocide.” Her passion for this issue was evident and the way she used dance and creative expression to convey this message was simply brilliant.

Raw emotion and sustained intensity came through in the dances. These dancers had the particularly difficult task of recreating violence, passion, suffering, rape, war and the overall corrupt weakness of humanity, all of which they did incredibly well. I remember one dancer specifically who maintained an expression of pure torment throughout the entire dance; she never stepped out of her pained character, and the audience felt her suffering.

Brown closed the evening with a clear message: “You now have been informed.” Following the event there were many organizations present to discuss the subject material and provide a source of activism. One such group was SaveDarfur, working locally to spread international awareness.

“This local coalition is a huge resource for the most up to date info on Darfur because we are both connected to the Darfurians in Philly and thus the Darfurians on the ground,” noted Kat Harrison, Executive Director of the Darfur Coalition. Amnesty International was also present; member Ron Coburn pointed out “It takes us closer to humanity to help other people.”

Global Grassroots, another organization there, is a nonprofit NH organization that listens to individuals on the ground and enables victims to regain their lives. They work with the Academy of Social Conscientiousness, an organization that gives Darfurian women the funds to start their own businesses and in turn save their communities.

If you are interested in making an impact in the ongoing struggles in Darfur there are a number of ways to get involved.

You can write letters to political prisoners in the region or to your local newspaper editor or members in Congress telling them to give the issue more attention. You can also join an advocacy group like SaveDarfur or the Darfur Alert Coalition at Darfur Alert Coalition.

You could even organize an event, like Fast for Darfur. You can also keep Darfur in the spotlight by calling 1-800-GENOCIDE to tell the White House, Congress and other elected officials to work with the international community to expedite the peace process.

On Oct. 28, from 7-10 p.m., West Chester University will host “Darfur in Crisis” which will include an update on recent Darfur news as well as a faculty panel discussion.

For more information, e-mail engert@wcupa.eduar or call 610-436-2654.