(Watermill,
NY)-
On Our Toes
in the
Hamptons,
the annual
performance
and
fundraising
gala
featuring
Ronald K.
Brown's
Evidence,
A Dance
Company
one of the
world�s most
acclaimed
dance
troupes,
returned for
the seventh
year to
celebrate
its 25th
anniversary
& honor
longtime
supporters
Prince Kunle
Omilana of
Nigeria
& his
American
born wife
Princess
Keisha
Omilana
at the
Hamptons
estate of
The
Honorable
Bernard H.
Jackson
and his wife
Joyce
Mullins-Jackson.
Several
hundred
guests
cocktailed
poolside at
the
Jackson�s
magnificent
aerie,
savored
special
Belvedere
cocktails
and
champagne
from sponsor
Moet-Hennessey
and nibbled
on hors
d�oeuvres
from Kyle's
of Shelter
Island
including
Crab cakes
with
chipotle
mayonnaise,
Vegetable
samosas with
mango
chutney,
Argentina
beef,
Chicken sate
with Thai
spice, Pork
sate with
ushanpon
Sicilian hot
panada
pockets,
Cajun
chicken,
mini-mac and
cheese and
sliders.
Drummers
called the
guest to the
enormous
tent for a
buffet
dinner that
featured
among many
tempting
offerings
Grilled lamb
with feta
and tomato;
Sundried
tomato cones
filled with
water
chestnut and
spinach dip
and Spinach
cones with
smoked
salmon
mousse.
Magnificent
as the food
was, the
highlight of
the event is
always the
performance
by Brown's
amazingly
talented
dancers.
Referencing
their recent
tour of Africa and the gala honorees, they performed the
electrifying
"Ebony
Magazine: To
a Village"
which
brought the
crowd to
their feet.
Brown & his
dancers,
Arcell
Cabuag,
Waldean
Nelson, Otis
Donovan
Herring,
Sule Adams,
Francine Ott,
Lilli-Anne
Tai, Annique
Roberts,
Clarice
Young
and
Nicholas
Anderson
- took
well
deserved
bows to
thunderous
applause.
Following
this, Brown
and the
dancers
asked the
guests to
join them on
the dance
floor.
The
afternoon
fete
continued
well beyond
its 7pm
scheduled
end as
dancers
fueled by
endless
trays of
sweet treats
continued to
pack the
dance floor
and get down
the hot
soundtrack
spun by DJ
Doug
Dickerson
and emcee
Lamont
McCormick
of
Diversified
Sounds.
Founded by
Ronald K.
Brown,
Evidence, A
Dance
Company is
rooted in
African
dance fusing
Contemporary,
Jazz and
Ballet with
the rhythms
and sounds
of the
African
Diaspora and Caribbean cultures. The annual gala of cocktails, auctions
and
performance
has been
long
recognized
as the
premiere
African-American
cultural and
social event
of the
Hamptons
summer
calendar
drawing an
extraordinary
list of Hamptons' luminaries.
Event Chair
was
Reginald Van
Lee now
Chairman
Emeritus of
the company.
Ms. Jackson
was elected
Chairman
earlier this
year.
Andrea &
Maurice
Duboise,
Emmy winner
Lynn
Whitfield,
Oracean
Price
(mother of
Venus
and
Serena
Williams),
Hon. Bernard
& Joyce
Jackson,
Noel Hankin,
Susan
Taylor &
Khephra
Burns,
Caron
Wheeler,
Dwayne
Ashley,
Gail
Monroe
Perry,
Veronica
Claypool,
Leslie Mays,
Zaid Abdul-Aleem,
Dwayne
Ashley,
Monica F.
Azare,
Joanne E.
Hill, Andrea
Hoffman,
Jennifer
Streaks,
Brian Haynes
Copeland,
Lisa Walker,
Ancy Verdier
and
Kathleen
Vita
were among
the crowd.
Adding a
touch of
glamour,
luxury firm
Hermes
displayed &
sold the
custom scarf
created to
commemorate
Evidence's
anniversary
and the
Committee
Co-Chairs
all sported
jeweled bags
courtesy of
Judith
Lieber.