Black United Students will present its 45th Annual Renaissance Ball, “An Ode to the Motherland,” Wednesday.

BUS programming director Dairia Harvin said she chose the theme because she felt the event was losing its historical significance and shying away from African-American history.

“I just wanted to bring back the history of it all because it hasn’t been like that for a while,” Harvin said.

The ball is a formal event open to all in the Student Center Ballroom and will include a pageant, food and dancing.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and models dressed in African attire and makeup will hand out fliers. Music will play while food is served, and the pageant showing will begin at 7 p.m.

Harvin said the pageant will include a crowning of a king, queen, prince and princess.

Spoken-word poetry will take place before the contestants perform modern African and merengue ballroom dances.

Kevin White, senior fashion merchandising major and former king, choreographed all the dances the contestants will perform.

“(The dance is) very Afro-centric, but I still wanted it to have a pageant feel to it,” White said. “The contestants worked really hard … They are not dancers, so it is a lot of practice.”

There will be 11 contestants competing for the crown, five men and six women, who will be judged on dancing, talent, formalwear and their answer to a final question. After the judges crown the winner, everyone is welcome to dance.

Male contestants are Ryan Richmond, Jordan Lewis, Darnell Griffiths, Jared Walters and Denzel Washington. Female contestants are Autumn Talley, Jasmine Perry, Terryn Mathis, Savanna McCarthy, Rena Wilson and Myeisha Scott.

“It’s a great formal event, and it’s been very successful,” Harvin said. “It’s my favorite event, and I’m glad to be putting it together.”

Contact Carley Hull at [email protected].