Ogemdi Ude’s MAJOR at OZ Arts Nashville
Ogemdi Ude’s MAJOR, presented at OZ Arts February 12th through the 14th, displayed the intersection of Black girlhood, somatic memory, and the legacy of HBCU majorette culture. Majorette has a deep and rich history rooted in the South. This production served as an inspiring reminder of how movement can reclaim power and identity. The immersion into MAJOR extended far beyond the stage. Hosted at Millennium Dance Complex was a contemporary majorette fusion masterclass, followed by a roundtable discussion with HBCU majorette legacies. While I did not attend the masterclass, the roundtable was incredibly insightful. I was grateful to hear about the women’s experiences, the history of the form, and how it has impacted their lives. It is also important to note that a MAJOR post-show discussion club was held at OZ Arts to close out the team’s stay in Nashville. It is always exciting when OZ Arts partners with dancers, choreographers, and the broader dance community to bring these free, educational events to the public.
Before the show started, I was already taking in the set design. It was minimalist, but every piece of the set, which we later found out could be moved, was intentional for the show’s success. There was a green backdrop, an elevated rectangular block center stage, and smaller movable pieces on the sides. All of it mimicked grass, which in majorette is the sports field where lots of performance takes place. Junyla Silmon opened MAJOR in a way that I viewed as waking up the body, initially lying on the ground and bringing subtle, then more powerful movement, followed by words. She wore a royal blue cutout bodysuit, which contrasted the green set design perfectly. All costumes were designed by Celeste Jennings. Junyla held everybody’s attention on the stage through her movement and words, some including phrases like “girls, I can be” and “can I be that too?” I found the choice of fragmented sentences alongside fragmented movements to be a very powerful way to introduce the story of MAJOR and its themes of Black girlhood and returning home to one’s body.
Jailyn Phillips-Wiley was the next to come out on stage, shortly followed by the other girls. Once music was introduced, I noticed patterns of mostly circular movements, staying lower to the ground. Once all the ladies came together, it was super poised and elegant, incorporating lots of jazz steps. Majorette, however, is not just jazz dance. It picked up lots of influences, creating its own distinct form that continues to evolve to this day. The majorette dance form, along with its performativity such as costume, hair, and makeup, continues to change. Up until this point, the ladies all had their whole cover-ups on, but when the lights went orange, that changed. This is where things intensified, and I felt like the ladies were all really feeling the motions, starting slower and more sensual. It was not just performance; it was embodiment.
One thing I admired was how each woman had their distinct character shine through. The dance captain Selah Hampton had a smile on for much of the show which was infectious. For Jailyn, it was the strength and confidence she was able to hold all while keeping a straight face. For Kayla Farrish, it was her playful energy, and as for song aziza tucker, it was her bodily control that was captivating. She specifically has inspired me to explore more small isolations in my own movement practice. Junyla, if she had not already, should take up more acting-centered roles. I believe she would thrive on film just as much as she does on stage dancing and storytelling.
I was able to notice these aspects held by each woman due to how the choreography gave space for each of them to have more focus drawn to them. The majority of movements, when not being done together, were passed along from one woman to the next, allowing for their expression to shine through. As a woman, it liberated me to see them dancing so freely and owning their femininity, sensuality, and elegance all at once. There came a “twerk-sesh” moment which, for those who have not tried it, is very freeing to the body and spirit. This free movement party of sorts ended with each of the ladies pairing up with another, which to me was a display of the importance and strength of sisterhood. Twerking can be stigmatized and sexualized in Western society, which, from my background in sociology and the history of dance, I recognize as a way to oppress women and keep them from stepping into and maintaining their full power. Some would say it is not that deep, but the somatic experience is always that deep. There is a reason and history as to why and how dance forms most commonly seen in African traditions are especially attacked as being “inappropriate” while European forms such as ballet are highly praised in the United States. The truth is in the shift from overt to covert oppression. Every motion from these ladies was a reclamation.
This reclamation and becoming of a majorette dancer is a process that changes the whole person. From the roundtable discussion, majorette teaches girls how to fully step into their womanhood and use the strength of sisterhood to make lasting change not only in their own lives, but in their communities. This sisterhood was displayed through MAJOR when one girl was lying on the floor and another was there to help her up. They then became “entangled” in one another, dancing through points of connection, showing loving support. After this point was when voice was added again. Two of my favorite quotes were “I’m here to watch, to watch. I’m not being watched, I’m making you watch” and “I didn’t catch the count, I demanded the count.” These were spoken by Junyla again and were both repeated phrases that reclaimed power. Then all together the girls were dancing and saying this is “grown girl shit.” I loved this part because of how it felt like connecting back to one’s inner child. It was like they are now the women they once saw performing when they were little, thinking “can that be me?” All but two girls left the stage, and the two who were left started playing around, improvising off of one another. This energy of playfulness to copy moves from each other and build upon them, feeling comfortable to experiment and make mistakes, all while encouraging each other is so important for growing into a confident individual. It once again felt like a space where the inner child was freed to fully express herself through movement, play, and friendship.
After this portion, they repositioned to set up for the ending with the rest of the girls coming back out, two of them holding hands, soon to be joined by the Aristocrat of Bands and Sophisticated Ladies from Tennessee State University. This bridged the storytelling of MAJOR into the current state of majorette dance. The Sophisticated Ladies were dressed to a T, hair, makeup, and all, carrying themselves very elegantly. My last note was on how it ended, feeling like a young girl being inspired by seeing the majorettes perform. Seeing them gave her the inspiration that she can do that too. Majorettes are an example for young girls and women alike, and for good reason. As I picked up from the roundtable discussion earlier before my viewing of the show, while the Sophisticated Ladies is a team of dancers, most majorette dancers match the description, being not only amazing dancers, but women of great character who leave an impact on anything they decide to pursue. It is great to know that archivist Myssi Robinson is working alongside this project to document the history of majorette dance. It is a legacy that future generations must know the truth about, so it may be carried forward honoring the women who danced before, building upon their foundation, and always remembering its roots.
Sources
https://alumni.princeton.edu/stories/selah-hampton-helping-next-generation
https://www.celestejenndesigns.com/costume-design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgWFQ-Q30aw
https://www.ogemdiude.com/major
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Audrey Rose Conley is a sociology student at MTSU with a passion for exploring the transformative power of dance. Her research delves into how dance can challenge social norms, promote individual empowerment, and foster social change. As a rapper and singer, she uses her artistic voice to express these themes and inspire others to embrace their authentic creativity.
