The rhythm was contagious at the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Saturday afternoon as hundreds of people gathered to join in the festivities of the 13th annual Celebration of African Cultures.
The event is one of many being held in Philadelphia in honor of Black History Month.
The day was packed with activities, workshops and performances in salute to African cultures, with special emphasis on the performing arts. Music, dance and storytelling were only some of the talents displayed in the course of the afternoon.
Tours of the museum's African and Egyptian galleries and demonstrations of African crafts, such as textile weaving, and games like mancala, were also available to visitors.
Museum spokeswoman Pam Kosty explained that the culture festival is "designed to bring in the community for sharing of cultures and ideas." It draws on the resources of the museum's African Gallery and the "rich variety of really high quality of African American performance groups in the community."
One of the highlights of the afternoon was a performance by the junior company of the African American Stilt Ballet, led by executive director Malika Malik. A special thrill for the younger members of the audience, the presentation demonstrated the African tradition of dancing on stilts, some as high as five feet.
Wearing culturally inspired costumes and masks, the towering dancers performed several numbers enhanced by song and percussion. One dance, supplemented by narration and interactive song, illustrated the African folktale of king lion, who learns how the small are mighty when freed from bondage by a small mouse.
Many museum visitors also seized the opportunity to take a guided tour of the African gallery, one of the foremost collections of its kind nationwide.
According to museum volunteer and guide Badara Ndaw, the gallery "is a very important collection of items from everywhere in Africa," housing more than 300 objects including ceremonial masks, musical instruments and a variety of other items used in everyday life.
"What you see in the African museum is not dead -- African culture is alive," said Ndaw, a native of Senegal. "The same masks we use in the exhibitions are the same masks we use for our daily rituals and our ceremonies... but here we put it behind the glass and don't touch, but it's functional -- African art is functional."
This notion of living culture was demonstrated particularly well by instrument craftsman Adimu-Kuumba. A Philadelphia native who has been crafting traditional African instruments for over thirty years, Kuumba displayed many of his handmade instruments, detailing the materials used in their construction and demonstrating the method used to play them.
After the presentation, audience members were invited to have a closer look at the instruments and give them a try.
Viewers impressed by Kuumba's craft had the opportunity to see it put into action in performances by the Women's Sekere Ensemble. The Philadelphia-based trio of percussionists specializes in playing the sekere, a traditional Nigerian instrument crafted from a hollow gourd enveloped by an intricate net of beads. The group has performed at the museum's annual festival for several years.
Dances by the Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble brought the festivities to a thunderous conclusion in the day's finale.
Overall, the festival was a success, delighting visitors of all ages with its enriching and informative presentations.
"I've been coming to this festival since I was a little girl," said Taheerah, a performer with Images of the Motherland, a group who has taken part in the festival in years past. "I've always learned something new every time I've come here."
Pat Jordan, artistic director of a children's performing arts program at the Temple Baptist Church in Chester, was at the festival with a group of her students.
"The kids loved it," she said, noting that they were especially impressed by the stilt dancing.
