Dancing, singing and poetry filled the halls of the Great Hall of the Memorial Union when the Black Student Alliance held its annual Harambee talent show Saturday night.

The show began a bit late, with the first performer not hitting the stage for nearly 30 minutes after the announced start time. But by the time the show did begin, the Great Hall was packed with people. Guests didn’t seem particularly put off by the late start and were still streaming in late themselves.

The program began with hosts Margo Bascomb, sophomore in psychology, and Dantrayl Smith, sophomore in electrical engineering, working the crowd with light-hearted jokes and small talk to work up enthusiasm for the upcoming performances of their peers. The crowd, which was already boisterous and excited, didn’t need much encouragement, however, as audience members clapped and hooted for each performer.

The Harambee 2003 talent included an even mix of dancing, singing and poetry readings, with good and bad performances in each category.

A poetry reading by Leon Ashby, sophomore in journalism and mass communication, was one of the more popular performances during the first part of the show, receiving laughter for his quirky mix of humor and heartfelt prose.

“The most memorable part of the first half was [Ashby’s] poem,” said audience member Stacey Reed, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication. “It was very intense. You can really relate to his words and imagine where he’s coming from.”

The Mod Squad, a co-ed campus dance group of 10 to 15 students, did a long dance number for the show, which began with an NC-17 warning for parents with young children. Although nobody removed their children from the show, the piece began with a dark stage and a man in a hockey mask making stabbing motions with a fake knife, while other dance members slithered around the floor.

The performance completely changed pace when the lights flashed on and the group began a dance number ending with male members each showing off their personal dance moves.

Several times, the hosts asked members of the audience to participate in the talent show.

Some brave members took the chance and showed off their abilities without the benefit of practice, displaying mostly dance moves and rap lyrics.

Several audience members in the back half of the room distracted from the performances when they began loudly offering rude opinions and observations about the performances.

One individual sat his chair in the middle of the walkway and proceeded to offer his comments to the rest of the audience until the hosts publicly asked him to find a seat that was not a fire hazard.

Overall, the event was interesting and captivating, but the performers and audience members could have done without the heckling from the back of the room.