Yesterday, my good friend Sekou McMiller invited me to go see his performance in the Off-Broadway show, Celia. They have two versions of the show: one in English and one in Spanish. Yesterday's version was in Spanish. So, unfortunately, I didn't understand all of the dialogue. Jareau, the Spanish-speaker that he is, did help to translate some of the important parts and it was pretty easy to follow otherwise. The show was really well done: the dancing was simple but I guess it fit the part with regards to the dancing that actually occurred back in the days when singers were on stage. Xiomara, the woman who played the older Celia, was fantastic. Her voice and the costumes and wigs they put on her really made you feel like you were at a real concert and not just a play.
In addition to the feeling of watching a really good show I was also feeling really ecstatic and proud for Sekou. I met him in May 2002 at about the same time that I met one of my other really close friends, Jason Pacheco. (Sekou had long dreads at that time..lol) Over the years I got to know him better and he was the first person to not only see the potential in me but to help me exercise it. The first time he did that was in December 2004 when he came to Toronto, Canada and taught me a performance to perform that same weekend. I was sick and everything but he pushed me to do it and it turned out really well. After that, he coached me through my first solo spins workshop in January 2005 at the Salsa y Control Anniversary party in Boston, USA. Since then, everything has been uphill, or downhill (whichever is better). I've always enjoyed working with him and watching him perform and excel is always a source of inspiration for me. He is, by far, one of the most talented, ambitious and perserverant dancers that I know. And now, to see him in an off-Broadway show puts a huge smile on my face. It's great to be able to call someone like him a friend.
I've gotta go watch the English version now so I fully understand the story.
