Troupe salutes Africa, as well as Tupac Shakur

If it’s February, it must be Black History Month. And what a month it’s been so far: A stellar Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater strutted its stuff in Orange County. Savion Glover shattered the stage in “Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk.” And then there was the locally based Lula Washington Dance Theatre, which performed at Cal State Northridge on Saturday.

Heavy on didacticism -- and heavier on frenetic moves -- Washington’s two premieres, ostensibly worlds apart, remained derivative and unfocused.

“Urban Themes,” a homage to Tupac Shakur set to several of the slain rapper’s tunes, including “Hail Mary” and “California Love,” had Demar Braxton in crotch-grabbing mode (a la Michael Jackson), walking the walk and throwing ‘tude.

Waiting his turn to show off, a shirtless Sandy Alvarez executed pirouettes on his knees and leapt, god-like, as if ascending toward heaven. Thankfully, he helped make the number worth watching, until, that is, seven dancers filled the stage brandishing signs reading, “Celebrate Life,” “Stop Killing Children” and “Love Yourself.”

At 15 minutes, Washington’s fusion of hip-hop and modern dance is essentially a work in progress, as other choreographers (including Alvarez) will contribute to its future development.

The other premiere, “African Ukumbusho (African Memories 2003),” is a six-part suite inspired by contemporary African music with the notion of community predominating. Headdress-clad Kemba Shannon, a former “Lion King” dancer, proved a feral presence in a solo that had her stalk the stage, somersault and crawl to a taped track of loud, hyena-like screechings, while a heartfelt Nicole Smith dazzled with brilliant balancing feats.

Unfortunately, endless foot stomping, body-slapping and bad lighting marked the South African gumboot dance section of the suite, with Alexander Pelham delivering an angry diatribe on the harsh realities of Johannesburg’s gold-mining industry during apartheid.

Tamica Washington-Miller began the evening sprawled on the floor reciting Shakur lyrics, while excerpts from 2001’s “Dances for McCoy,” and 1998’s overly talky “Mahal Dances” (set to the music of Taj Mahal) completed the program.