IN PHOTOS

‘House of Harmony’ brings the house down

A buzz of excitement electrified the air in the Trojan Grand Ballroom on Friday night as a full house of attendees crowded the venue. The cast and crew were wrapping up their rehearsals; stage lights flickered from white to red to purple; dancers were going through the choreography one last time. Then the stage emptied, and a projector screen descended from the ceiling, bearing the words: “House of Harmony.”

That was the name of a wide-ranging project — led by creative directors Sean Guzmán and Martín Aguirre Lanner — described in its announcement as “an artistic experience that will combine fashion, film dance, and music to tell our stories of empowerment.” Hosted by the Undergraduate Student Government’s Performing Arts Committee, “House of Harmony” had been in the works for months, with recruitment for the event beginning in August. USG PAC then announced a lineup of seven dancers — with choreography by Aguirre Lanner and Elizabeth Smiley — and three student films to be in the works, directed by Chloé-Eloïse Mallet, Quincy Bowie Jr. and Guzmán, respectively.

That effort culminated in a lively, rowdy affair that sought to center the voices and experiences of marginalized groups. Film screenings interchanged with fashion shows, a live set by DJ NinaButterfly, a quartet of student musicians, and dance routines that paid homage to genres like hip hop and vogue. Several among the audience were already on their feet before the end of the event, screaming and waving as dancers dipped and twisted and threw it back. By the time the cast walked out to take their bows, everyone was up, meeting them with a standing ovation.

Quincy Bowie Jr. formerly served as video editor at the Daily Trojan in Fall 2023. Bowie Jr. is no longer affiliated with the paper.

A previous version of this article misspelled DJ NinaButterfly’s name. It was updated Nov. 25 at 2:24 p.m. with the correct spelling. The Daily Trojan regrets this error.