Teaching African Dances as Civic Engagement

ABSTRACT

Over the years, dances from African cultures have been viewed in the Western world as caricatures of exotic bodies and representations of experiences that are abundant in the natural order of things. Valentino Y. Mudimbe (1988) has defined this otherization and objectification as the invention of Africa. With the continuous mobility of people and constant flow of ideas, teachers of African dances in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand have developed teaching methods that transcend tokenistic exocitization and objectification of these dances. This article examines the reflections of selected teachers on how they utilize particular pedagogical processes when teaching African dances to facilitate civic engagement and understanding. The analysis unveils how the teachers apply pedagogies to allow learners to (a) explore the ontologies and epistemologies of the dances; (b) dissolve stereotypes about the continent of Africa and her people; (c) learn about the African communities and cultures where the dances originate; (d) locate the relevance of the dances to the prevailing global conditions, needs and challenges, and; (e) identify how they can utilize the dance knowledge, experiences, and skills to enhance their individual well-being. The article points the reader to the complex ways through which African dances can be engaged as valid and valuable knowledge to advance responsible global citizenship in this era where intolerance of difference is on the rise.