Sacramento State held the first performance of the Sacramento/Black Art of Dance: Inner/Visions Wednesday night in the Dancespace in Solano Hall.

Performances will continue until Sunday.

The performance is a celebration of the movement culture within African and African American modern dance. The performance has been put on every year in the tradition of Black Concert Dance, since Linda Goodrich started it in 1991.

“Black people historically in this nation have not had a space for themselves,” said Bernard Brown, an assistant professor of dance. “And so using the body as a site of resistance and a site of joy and as an agent of change is why we do this.”

The night consisted of six performances with graphic pictures depicting Black life and tragedy in between performances. 

Gallery • 4 Photos

Alexis Perales

Miguel Forbes and Jade Tabayoyong perform "Meji/Two,” at Solano Hall for the Sacramento/Black Art of Dance: Inner/Visions on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The dance focused the theme of immigration.

Sac State alumnus Kenya Hilliard, choreographed her own dance in memory of her father who died by suicide two years ago. Hilliard performed to a song titled “Hand Me Down.”

The piece was done by cutting up Antonio Vivaldi’s “Summer” and Roderic Hilliard’s “Isolation.” 

“The name ‘Hand Me Down,’ literally (means) hand-me-down (for) all the struggles that Black men go through (that) I could never imagine,” Hilliard said. “I’m a bi-racial woman. I could never imagine the struggles that a Black man can go through but they’re still being handed down to me in some way, shape or form.” 

Story continues below tweet.

“Hand Me Down” was performed by Kenya Hilliard in this solo piece that switched from classical Vivalidi to the heavier beat of Roderick Hilliard. #BlackArtofDance2020 #InnerVisions @TheStateHornet pic.twitter.com/9pm04pX20j

— alexis perales (@_alexisperales) February 27, 2020

The performance ended with a celebratory and ceremonial Avanhia dance that brought history and tradition to the event.

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The last performance was performed by Miguel F., Gelline G., Andrea G., Senaj J., Shania L., and Nafi T. and was called, “Avanhia,” which is a celebratory and ceremonial dance. #BlackArtofDance2020 #InnerVisions @TheStateHornet pic.twitter.com/fUCkR3pTWR

— alexis perales (@_alexisperales) February 27, 2020

“We look at Black dance just like we look at the civil rights movement, as archetypes, or the architect for inclusivity and celebrating diversity,” Brown said.

Sacramento/Black Art of Dance: Inners/Visions will hold evening performances at 7 p.m. through Saturday with a matinee Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase here.