Saturday's roster began with a jazz and hip-hop movement workshop led by dancer, choreographer and playwright Arthur Taylor, founder of an international traveling dance company of adolescents.

Later that night, Taylor performed with a slightly older crowd as he joined Harvard performers on the stage of Lowell Lecture Hall for the weekend's crowning event, "Celebration of the Spirit," a mix of performances by Kuumba and the Caribbean Dance Troupe, and a senior project by Amma Y. "Yo' Mama" Ghartey-Tagoe '01.

"I particularly liked the 'Celebration of the Spirit' showcase because it was a great mix of entertainment and history," said audience member Nadia S. Johnson '03. "It did a great job of educating the audience about the history of different black art forms."

The festival also included three sold-out performances in the Adams Pool Theater of Streetpeople, a satiric comedy about life on the streets, written and directed by black playwright and actor Ben Ateku, founder of a Weymouth-based theater company.

The festival has grown considerably over the past four years. Kuumba founded the event, but the festival has become an independent project, coordinating the majority of events on its own.

This year, the planning board jumped from six to 11 members, and publicity efforts doubled, with posters displayed throughout the Boston area.

Audience members said they were impressed by the final product.

"It was definitely more than I expected," Losier said.