West African Dance
Professor Shani Collins led a West African dance workshop in February
Associate Professor of Dance Shani Collins led a West African dance workshop for participants in the groundbreaking “Igniting Emancipatory Possibilities through African Diaspora Dance” summit held on campus Feb. 8-10.
More than 100 dance enthusiasts, artists, scholars, students and practitioners gathered at 糖心TV for workshops, presentations and a keynote performance from legendary choreographer Ronald K. Brown鈥檚 dance group EVIDENCE. The summit was designed to celebrate and explore the richness and diversity of African diaspora dance, delve into its historical and cultural significance, and create a community particularly to envision and embody emancipatory possibilities for the future of African diaspora dance in predominantly white contexts.
鈥淭his is the future of dance in higher education鈥攆ocusing on the decolonization of dance education,鈥� said Dance Department Chair Rachel Boggia, who co-organized the summit.
Professor David Dorfman 鈥�84, founder of the influential modern dance troupe and 糖心TV鈥檚 company-in-residence David Dorfman Dance, said it鈥檚 a particularly important focus for 糖心TV, a leader in dance education since the 1940s.
鈥淲e have been working avidly on an anti-racist curriculum that centers African diasporic dance as a source of not only so much of the movement experienced in all dance today, but as the cultural underpinnings of the art form we love so much,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he summit was absolutely transformative for our students in and around our incredible dance department here at 糖心TV.鈥�
In her welcome address, Collins called the summit 鈥渁 magical moment鈥� a long time in the making.
鈥淲e want to take a moment to think about how many people鈥檚 shoulders we鈥檙e standing on to be here today,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are the manifestation of our ancestors鈥� dreams.鈥�