Albia, Iowa Union-Republican

November 16, 2006

MWAH! rocks Moravia

Chicago-area dance troupe brings message of hope

Brian Chambers, News Editor

ALBIA,IOWA- The joint was a jumpin’ at Moravia Tuesday when MWAH—Messages Which Are Hopeful—brought their performance to small-town Iowa. The High School gymnasium was packed by students in grades 6-12 that heard the group sing, dance and talk about diversity, confrontation, relationships and other issues that teenagers face everyday. The seven-member dance troupe, ranging in ages from 10 to 28, which were only identified by their first names, brought a message of choice to the audience; that teenagers do have different choices, and those choices make a difference. The show began with an introduction by Elementary Principal Rhonda McFadden who was cut short by a fight breaking out on the gym floor. A teacher jumped from the bleachers and grabbed one of the combatants, while a troupe member restrained the other. Soon it was discovered that it was a staged fight that was used to segue into the first issue—diversity and conflict. The focus shifted to troupe member Jessie, who sang the John Lennon song, “Imagine” while a recording of Martin Luther King giving his “I Have a Dream” speech echoed off the walls. Cast member Lauren, a 17-year-old Chicago resident, spoke to the audience and talked about how should, “tolerate and accept each other.” This intro set the stage for a song by one of the youngest cast members, 10-year-old DC, titled “Don’t Laugh at Me,” which carried the message not to make fun of others just because they are different. One line of the song, “Don’t call me names. Don’t get your pleasure from my pain,” summed up the message that everyone is different and acceptance is the right choice to make. The issue of abusive relationships was brought to the forefront when the troupe performed a skit in which a boy slapped his girlfriend for looking at another boy. DC again spoke to the audience about violence and what love is all about. The skit soon turned into a pantomime as another cast member sang about what is really god in this life. While the song was sung, cast member Jemell (the boy who slapped his girlfriend) sat silently at a make-believe bar, nursed a beer and contemplated his actions. After a time he poured the unseen drink on the ground and left to find his girlfriend to apologize. This last act, of course, was too late but the message rang clear—make the right choice in relationships and treat the other party with respect. Violence is not the answer. The choice of remaining true to yourself was made when the classic nerd—pulled up pants, black horn-rimmed glasses and shirt buttoned up to the top—longed to be “cool” and asked to “cooler” cast members to help him. The experiment was a failure and the young nerd, Nathan, accepted who he was, and liked his old self. The song “Wannabe” spoke to anyone who was ever envious of someone else. The mood shifted when the entire cast propelled into an eclectic dance routine that mixed contemporary rock, country, rap and hip-hop that brought students in the audience to perform the dance ‘the worm” along with troupe members. To those that are unfamiliar with this dance, the only advice is—do not try this at home. If you are in or approaching middle age, serious injury could occur. The mood switched back to serious again when a skit portrayed a father striking his son and telling him that he wished he was never born, exposing the dark side of parent-child relationships. The analogy of a rose signifying a child was used to deliver the message that a child grows by how he is tended to and nurtured, much like a flower. Aptly, the 1980s hit “The Rose” made popular by Bette Midler, was used as the vocal accompaniment to the message. The show climaxed with another adult-theme message—the loss of a child. In May of 2005, Quad City area baseball star Ryan Murdock died a s a result of a car accident when he and his friends were returning from a keg party. Murdock’s mother, Joanne, joined the troupe in a presentation designed to emphasize choice when dealing with alcohol and drug use. And how those choices impact others. The Kenny Chesney song, “Who You’d Be Today,” was used as the vehicle to drive Murdock’s mothers’ message home, which was not to make the choice her son did, it could be fatal. Since the audience was young, it was unlikely that any of them had lost a child. But, if by chance, an older audience member (which there were a few) had experienced such a loss, a tear may have slid down their cheek while remembering their lost child and what that child may have become if they would have lived. She closed with the words and thoughts many who have ever lost someone they love desperately cling to, “I’ll see you again someday.” The atmosphere in the gymnasium quickly changed after Murdock left the floor and the troupe members launched into the The Black-Eyed Peas number, “Where is the Love?” Students were immediately on their feet clapping, dancing to and singing along to an evidently favorite tune. There were high-fives all around while students remained standing throughout the rest of the performance that included introduction of cast members and a concluding Kenny Chesney song, “She Thinks my Tractor’s Sexy.” From rock to country to hip-hop and rap back to country this dance troupe had something for everyone in the audience, further strengthening the message of diversity and acceptance and the choices that people make. The MWAH! dance troupe is a not-for-profit charitable organization affiliated with the Chicago Area Project, which is a community service network targeted to youth and their families. The Moravia performance is the seventh time the troupe has performed for their target audience this school year. The executive director of the troupe is Ray Moffitt, who has devoted much of his life to getting kids off the street and into the performing arts.