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Annual Celebration Casts Rays of Hope
In its 19th year, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration remains a strong and vital part of life at The Juilliard School. For this year's performance on January 15 in Paul Hall, the students generated some original and powerful performances commemorating the life and work of Dr. King based on the questions he posed in his famous "Where Do We Go From Here?" speech at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1965.
Titled "MLK 911: Five Years After 9/11, One Year After Katrina, 'Where Do We Go From Here?'," the program provided an evening of reflection, education, rededication, and celebration for performers and audience alike. The theme was chosen to reflect the socio-political similarities between today's America and that of the 1960s during the civil rights movement. Indeed, listening to Dr. King's descriptions of the injustices of Vietnam, widespread poverty, and retaliatory violence, one cannot help but sense the looming shadows of the senseless devastation of 9/11, the war in Iraq, and the ongoing FEMA debacle of Hurricane Katrina. Neither could one deny that Dr. King's all-encompassing message of hope through brotherly love and nonviolence was perfectly embodied in the artistic passion of the Juilliard students.
All three of the School's divisions were represented in the heartfelt offerings, with participation from the MAP program and the Pre-College Division as well. Among the evening's highlights were dramatic readings by drama students from plays by August Wilson, rousing renditions of Negro spirituals sung by the MLK Vocal Ensemble, a dance solo, and a jazz ensemble.
President Joseph Polisi and Juilliard's senior staff were among the audience members who filled the newly renovated Paul Hall to capacity. It was an amazing night of solidarity and hope, and I commend the students for their imaginative preparation and rededication to this legacy, begun 19 years ago by Juilliard students for the education of their own community. For those of you who missed it—come back next year for the 20th. We've got a lot to celebrate!
—James C. Martin
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