It seems as if everyone was interested in seeing more clips of stepping and strolling so I included them here :
-Strolling is usually used to show that your organization is present at parties/gatherings ect, here it's shown on stage at a step show
-Enjoy!
Phi Beta Sigma syracuse chapter at a step show in Oswego:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boNaiMZzO5U&feature=related
Kappa Alpha Psi Strolling, first thought that came to mind was the "stripper dance" in RIZE, possibly where they got it from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G-brWeMmqs
Delta Sigma Theta Strolling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWprpnSBeeI
Also, I appreciate how each one of these African American dance traditions link with one another throughout our readings. I do believe however that you can, in fact, trace the roots of these dances to Africa and not necessarily to America. The African experience in America is unique in that they are one of the few cultures brought to this country against their will. As a way to keep African traditions within the new African American community, as well as keep the community together in times or turmoil (slavery ect..) African traditions were passed down through word of mouth and demonstration. So, while these dances do focus on the African American experience they also have strong correlations to African dances, purposely.
Amanda, I just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your presentation yesterday. It was wonderful that you presented about a subject that you are so knowledgeable about. It made the whole presentation so much more interesting because you could tell you cared about the subject matter and you clearly knew everything very well! Great job and thanks for posting the links.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, thanks for the links and a great presentation. Please also make sure to tell us if there's a show coming up!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that there are definitely historical continuities between African and African American culture, so let me rephrase what I wanted to say in class. In order to get away from stereotypes, I want to encourage everyone to think critically about the connections we make between different cultures - or that are made in films like "Rize." Sometimes in making these connections, we might forget that cultures change constantly, and have continued to change both in Africa and the Americas. People are creative, and other blog posts have clearly shown how quickly dance changes!
However, that's not to say that people in the African diaspora did not have very good reasons for maintaining certain cultural practices as a reminder of history, belief, one's ancestors, past injustices, etc. - and for keeping a community strong. They did. So yes, you do find many practices from Africa maintained throughout the African diaspora. We've already talked about a couple in class: competition dances (battling), dances done in a circle with soloists switching off in the center... in music, you can find call and response singing, syncopation and polyrhythm, a close tie between music and dance, and many other traits. When you look at religious music and dance, you often find even more continuities, because there people have an even greater desire to keep up tradition. There are some fascinating examples in Afro-Caribbean culture of "nation dances" tied to very specific ethnic groups and areas in Africa.
So, as we continue to look at different dances in class, I hope we can keep our minds open and questioning. I think we will see connections and continuities, as well as change and creativity.