In its seven-year history here at UCLA, Dance Marathon has managed to raise over $1 million for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, including $362,000 this year alone. The success of the event is evident, not only in the impressive fundraising totals, but also in the growing numbers of celebrity speakers and performers that Dance Marathon has been able to unite in support of such a worthy cause.
This year’s event was no exception. It saw the usual array of educational speakers, celebrities and videos but had added excitement as word spread that a famous “mystery rapper” would be performing. As all who went, and many who didn’t, surely know, this turned out to be the esteemed lyricist Talib Kweli.
What could have been an added highlight of an already spectacular event, instead resulted in stressed stage managers, a jilted rapper, and hopefully a lesson learned. The events that occurred at Dance Marathon provide a clear example of how to better plan for such performances at future events.
For all who don’t know what exactly took place, here’s a condensed version, courtesy of Matt Wiener, a third-year international economics student and stage manager for much of Dance Marathon, including Talib Kweli’s performance. Kweli was technically hired by the Cultural Affairs Commission, but it was Wiener’s job as stage manager to ensure that Kweli and other speakers and performers stuck to their allotted times.
Scheduled to perform from 8:30 to 9 p.m., Kweli showed up late and then refused to play without his band, who showed up even later. Already scrambling to reschedule upcoming performances, Wiener told him that he had until 9 and that was it, even though he didn’t start performing until 8:50. With moralers waiting to enter and a speaker already delayed backstage, Kweli was told to get off the stage, only to refuse, apparently under the impression the event was all about him. Shortly thereafter, the decision was made to cut his microphone during an extended version of “Get By,” his most famous song. Perturbed, Kweli stormed off stage before muttering some unprintable expletives to Wiener. Clearly an unfortunate ending.
To say something went wrong is to note the obvious. What’s far less obvious is who, if anyone, is to blame and what could have been done better. After talking to numerous dancers and moralers afterward, some seemed disappointed that Kweli’s performance got cut short, and thought he should have been allowed to play longer, regardless of the scheduling problems it would create.
Many others, particularly those who helped plan the event, rightly pointed out that in order for such an event to run smoothly, every single minute must be planned out in meticulous detail to keep a 26-hour dance marathon from becoming a 30 hour triathlon. They argue that there was no other alternative.
Initially, I thought that an exception should have been made for such a big-name performer, but the truth is that to do so would have prioritized a selfish rapper’s performance over the true purpose of the event: to promote pediatric AIDS awareness.
Passionate speakers would not have been heard and educational videos not seen, all in an effort to avoid hurting the feelings of a man who, even after being informed repeatedly, didn’t know what the event was for.
Dance Marathon did what they had to do in cutting Kweli’s microphone, yet it should never have had to come to that. As anyone who frequents rap concerts can contest, a punctual rapper is rarer than an honest politician. To set aside a rigid half-hour block for such notoriously late performers shows a lack of foresight by the planning committee.
In no way do I mean to defend Kweli’s actions. Showing up late and disrespecting the organizers of such a wonderful fundraiser was selfish, to say the least. He acted with a sense of entitlement that was uncalled for and shameless given the nature of the event.
This too, however, could have easily been avoided. The fact that Talib Kweli apparently didn’t even know what the event was for (Kweli had to ask Wiener during his performance.) even after being repeatedly told months, weeks, and days in advance is indicative of a general apathy on his part toward the cause. Hiring a performer who clearly doesn’t care about the cause can easily result in misunderstandings and does nothing to promote the event.
Ultimately, Dance Marathon organizers should learn from what happened to avoid another unfortunate situation. It’s truly a sign of great leadership that the fundraiser has grown so fast in its short time here at UCLA, and incorporating famous performers in the future shouldn’t be avoided when doing so adds to the overall experience and provides extra incentive to participate and raise money.
To avoid such a situation, organizers must seek out performers who genuinely care about raising money for AIDS awareness, not those who simply want to raise money for themselves. But even more importantly, organizers must realize that scheduling performers without allowing margins is betting on terrible odds when dealing with a performer’s schedule. There needs to be some sort of flexibility.
Dance Marathon is and always will be a fun and fulfilling event for all who participate, and performers are certainly a part of that. It should just be done right.
E-mail Wright at gwright@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.