Students explore African culture through dance

Professional dancers, talented students and novices joined together in a vivid and rhythmic impromptu dance performance at the W.E.B. DuBois College House last night. The African American Dance Ensemble, an independent dance company, ran a workshop on African dance and drumming that focused on audience participation. Approximately 40 students attended the workshop, which included discussion of everything from African dance to a choreographed performance by more than half of the crowd. Led by the African American Dance Ensemble's founder and Artistic Director Chuck Davis, the participants warmed up by stretching, learned multiple dance sequences and ultimately put it all together in an elaborate finale. Accompanied by a steady rhythm from the troupe's three drummers and one percussionist, the participants performed a dance called the lamban, which started with the "jali adah" chant. Davis explained that the lamban was used by the oral historian during communal story-telling. The drums play a significant role, Davis explained. "The drums that accompany the dance are more than something to play," he said. "Deep in the belly of the drum is the history of our people." Davis, who has been dancing for more than 30 years, had seemingly boundless energy. Between his rigorously professional method of teaching and the enthusiastic participation of the audience, a powerful, fully choreographed example of African dance emerged. Many members of African Rhythms, a University dance troupe, attended the workshop. College senior Glory Udobot, a member of African Rhythms, explained that the group is rehearsing the same dance. "It's an experience to see another style and incorporate it into [our] own performances," Udobot said. Wharton junior Alaina Anderson explained that the group learned a lot from the experience. "I had a great time," she said. "We did actual choreography that we can put on stage." But some people who participated in the workshop had no formal dance experience. College junior Rami Hassan happened to walk by the multi-purpose room and stopped to see what was happening. He ended up dancing with the rest of the group.