The lights dimmed and the group began to chant as the music picked up. The ZuZu African Acrobats took the stage encouraging the audience to clap and the echos filled the theater. The Acrobats ran into the crowd and picked students to come onto the stage. The audience began to sway the drums thudded louder and louder.
In celebration of Black History Month, UT’s Office of Student Success hired the Zuzu African Acrobats to perform everything from contortion, chair stacking, pyramid balancing, flipping and limbo. The sounds of whistling, yelling and clapping filled the air as the audience watched the group perform.
The performance took place Tuesday, Feb. 28 in Faulk Theater.
From the start of the performance, the acrobats asked students to go up on stage and join them. Students participated in several events from dancing, to playing traditional African music, to competing in a limbo contest.
The acrobats got their start in Kenya where they had practiced since they were nine, said performer Karanga. The group decided to name itself after the city the acrobats grew up in: Zuzu, Kenya. After years of performing, three of the members went on to audition for America’s Got Talent where they became semi-finalists as part of the group Zuma Zuma.
Martina Newell, an administrator assistant for the Office of Student Success, describes why they wanted the group to perform.
“We had found out they were doing tours to schools and that they were on America’s Got Talent, so we were really excited,” Newell said. “We found out they were doing a special for Black History Month.”
Newell describes why the group performed on a Tuesday in January, instead of a weekend during Black History Month when more students would have been able to attend.
“Since it was a black history performance we needed them to perform before or during February,” Newell said. “We were trying to get them in February, but their schedule was so packed and they were only able to come [on Tuesday].”
Approximately 30 students and Tampa residents showed up for the event, but even though the theater was not packed the group found ways to keep up the high energy and keep the audience engaged.
After performing for 30 minutes, the group took a break to educate the audience on African traditions and customs, providing facts about Kenya. These included how to say “hello” in Swahili (“Jumba”), the common foods in Kenya, the size of Kenya and the clarification of the name Rafiki, which means “friend.”
Sarah Parker said she thought it was cool that the group took time to answer questions about Kenya, but she wishes the audience would of asked more questions.
After all of the questions were answered, the group asked the audience “you want some more?” and then continued to dance.
Karanga noted that even with a busy schedule, the group has to take time to visit its loved ones.
“We practice every day. Maybe half an hour each day,” Karanga said. “We always tour all over the country but around October, November and December we go home.”
Karanga describes why he has a passion for acrobatics.
“In the head you feel like it’s somewhere you’re supposed to be,” Karanga said.
Karanga wrapped the performance on a lighter note by saying how he wished the group could have had a better finale.
UT’s department for Student Success plans to come out with several more performances for Black History month.
“We wanted to play with fire, but they wouldn’t allow us to,” Karanga said.
Theresa Stanton can be reached at theresa.stanton@spartans.ut.edu