The ensemble was founded in 1984 as an outgrowth of the Chuck Davis Dance Company while in residence with the American Dance Festival. Under the leadership of its artistic director, Chuck Davis, its mission is to preserve the traditions of dance, both from the African and African-American perspective.
The gathering was the first of a two-day celebration. The beginning part of the evening began in the Connie Moses Ballroom, with a reception and silent auction.
Upon walking inside the ballroom we were greeted by Barbara Alston along with other members of the AADE Council of Elders. Once inside, people enjoyed the meal prepared by The Palace International Restaurant.
Larry Hall was the first person to put a bid on the painting of President Obama, one of the items in the silent auction. Other silent auction choices included additional artwork, jewelry, prints and clothing.
About halfway through the reception, Davis came to extend words of welcome on behalf of the dance company. Davis stressed that dance was for everybody and the company was all about community.
After his remarks, Davis made his way around the ballroom, greeting and speaking to nearly everyone in attendance individually.
Andrea Lawson was in attendance for the festivities. Lawson works for the North Carolina Arts Council.
After the reception, guests made their way downstairs for the main event, the performance which featured new works.
Parlor Magic by Josh Lozoff
From the Carolina Theatre it was a short drive to the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill for the inaugural performance in the series, Parlor Magic, by Josh Lozoff.
Lozoff, who is known around the Triangle for sharing his magic at special events, created an entire show which encompasses various magic tricks along with continuous audience involvement. The show was presented in the Tuscany Room at the hotel. Guests were seated in round tables that featured all kinds of books and interesting facts. The room had the feel of an old-fashioned parlor.
When the show began, Lozoff came out to greet the audience and immediately started wowing everyone. At one point in the show, he even selected a member of the audience to teach one of his tricks.
Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the show was the jelly bean guess. There were two jars of jelly beans on the stage from the beginning of the evening. One large container was labeled with the number of jelly beans it contained. The other was unmarked, and throughout the show, various audience members took a guess at how many were in fact in the jar.
While no one was exactly right (that would have been quite magical) the closest guesser received a gift certificate for dinner at Il Palio, the restaurant located inside the hotel.
Four Square Restaurant celebrates 10 years
I ended the week Monday at the 10th anniversary celebration for Four Square Restaurant in Durham.
Nestled upon the trees at 2701 Chapel Hill Road, the restaurant is housed in a renovated old style home. The big wrap-around porch doubles as outdoor seating for the guests. The hardwood floors and lighting add to the down home southern feel of the establishment.
As guests arrived on Monday, they were greeted by Shane and Elizabeth Ingram, owners of the restaurant. Once inside, everyone enjoyed complimentary food and champagne. And even though the bar was fully stocked, some supporters expressed congratulations by bringing bottles of wine for the couple.
Ingram's mother and father traveled from out of the state to be a part of the evening. Proud parents of their son's business, the Ingrams were thankful to all the support from the Durham community.
Ingram's mother was especially surprised to have a chance to meet the president of Duke University, Richard Brodhead, at the event. She said that was the highlight of her evening. Brodhead attended the event with his wife, Cynthia.
Sharon Ambrose and her husband Bill Brooks were especially pleased to come out to celebrate the milestone. Brooks knew Ingram and his wife before the restaurant opened. In fact, Brooks was a supplier for Ingram when Ingram worked at Fearrington.
As someone who has watched the restaurant grow from its inception, Brooks spoke quite highly of Ingram and his wife. He said Four Square is one his favorite restaurants in the area.
Throughout the remainder of the week, in honor of the 10th anniversary, the restaurant offered a four course chef tasting menu, with some of its most popular dishes from the last decade.
Angela Ray is an actress, author and motivational speaker. For comments or tips on future events, e-mail her at Angela@mahoganydime.com.
