The Zeta Iota Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority held its annual “Blue Expressions March of Dimes Benefit Concert” on Friday March 25 at the Knight Spot.
The evening began with president junior Rebecca Mirville and vice president junior Emonnie Bennett giving a brief introduction to the event and explaining that ZPB is the only historically black sorority on campus.
Mirville and Bennett also spoke about March of Dimes before the show began, attesting to just how important of a cause it is within their organization. Founded by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, March for Dimes is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to prevent birth defects, premature births and infant mortality throughout the country.
Once the show began, a palpable enthusiasm emanated from both the performers and hosts senior Nana Yaw and junior Christina Alli. The duo kept the audience engaged between and during the performances; encouraging applause and commending performers on jobs well done.
The first act of the night was Sláinte Irish Dance. They performed two dances: the first in soft shoes and the second in hard shoes. The group’s fervor set the mood for the rest of the evening’s performances.
Next was a performance by Michael Mirville—Rebecca Mirville’s younger brother—singing a soulful rendition of Musiq Souldchild’s “Dontchange.” Although not a member of the Geneseo community, he was still welcomed with thunderous applause.
The next act slowed things down with junior Tiphereth Hassan and sophomore Simone Louie performing a moving acoustic cover of Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move.” After that, the Ghana Gala dance team performed to a high-energy medley of songs, including Rihanna’s “Work.” The dance acts continued with freshman Sherray Brown performing a solo piece to Machel Montano’s “Temperature.”
After Brown came Geneseo Gospel Choir director senior Geneviva Dodoo performing an emotional cover of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You.” Geneseo Bhangra kept the evening moving in an energetic direction when they performed an upbeat medley to a track that included recognizable songs such as David Guetta’s “Hey Mama” featuring Nicki Minaj and Afrojack.
Freshmen Alexa Rosario and Danielle Soto-Binns followed the dance troupe, singing a somber acoustic cover of Beyoncé’s “Mine,” and finishing with a rendition of Rihanna’s “Consideration.”
Next up on the repertoire was the first act of the night that wasn’t strictly musical. Pierreson Fils-Aime performed a unique and original poem titled “Love Don’t Exist Here.” Dispersed throughout were sung references to popular love songs.
After that, previous performers began to take the stage for encore performances. Dodoo stepped up to the mic again for a more impromptu, bubbly performance of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone.” Hassan also returned to the stage, this time performing one of her own choreographed works. She introduced her piece by saying that the message she hoped to convey was that “your GPA and grades don’t define you.” She then launched into an emotional and expressive dance set to Andy Mineo’s “Pressure.”
The night began to wind to a close when Andre Doeman ‘15 read an original poem. This was a perfect end to the show, reflecting the artistry, emotion and passion seen in every performance throughout the evening.
Once the show had drawn to a close, Rebecca Mirville and Bennett took the stage again to invite everyone to stay for the after party, which ran from 10 p.m.–2 a.m. The Blue Expressions March of Dimes Benefit Concert truly showcased the diverse talent at Geneseo while simultaneously raising money for a good cause.