My research and expertise centers on traditional and fusion forms of African dance, drumming, storytelling, and cultural studies, as well as other forms of dance such as hip-hop and samba. I frequently collaborate with artists in a variety of dance and drumming disciplines. I am currently building a cultural center in Kokrobitey, Ghana, My work in Ghana enriches my RAP students by teaching them a global perspective. Here is a a description of this work that relates directly to my teaching in RAPs.in Kokrobite, Ghana, I opened the Akpe Cultural Center and Hotel to promote and preserve the traditional performing arts of Africa. The center’s mission is to keep these arts alive, teaching them to new generations of both local children and international students. My focus is to transmit not only the skills required in these arts, but the cultural values of respect, cooperation, and community inherent in them. I was fortunate to study with masters of these arts as I was growing up in Ghana, and the artistic skills and community and personal values I learned changed the direction of my life. I hope to do that for as many other young people as possible. The Akpe Cultural Center is currently teaching 70-80 children each week with no charge and feeding them while they are there. The children are enthusiastic and learning quickly, and their parents are extremely grateful for their children to have a place to learn positive values and skills after school and on weekends, keeping them safe and less likely to be involved in harmful activities like drugs and theft. These issues are becoming increasingly common in Kokrobite. To attend classes at the Akpe Cultural Center, children must maintain an A or B average in school. This seems to be very motivational — I and my staff have seen evidence that this requirement has led to children working hard in school and being more responsible with their homework so they can join
DNCE 2501 - African Dance
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
Explores the technique, styles, and rhythms of regional and national cultures of Africa. Areas of concentration may vary each semester (e.g. Ghana, Mali, Guinea, etc.). Introduces signature attributes common to different countries' dance traditions and features discussions of the musical traditions, histories, cosmologies, philosophies and aesthetics to contextualize and increase familiarity. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
DNCE 5501 - Graduate African Dance
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020
Explores the technique, styles and rhythms of regional and national cultures of Africa by introducing signature attributes common to different countries' dance traditions. Features discussions of the musical traditions, histories, cosmologies, philosophies and aesthetics to contextualize and increase familiarity. Areas of concentration may vary by each semester (e.g. Ghana, Guinea, Intermediate). May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
EMUS 1467 - World Music Ensemble
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
Study and performance of musics of diverse cultures in the United States, including Native American, Latin American, African American and Asian American, as well as music from the mother cultures of these groups. Same as EMUS 3467 and EMUS 5467.
EMUS 3467 - World Music Ensemble
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
Study and performance of musics of diverse cultures in the United States, including Native American, Latin American, African American and Asian American, as well as music from the mother cultures of these groups. Same as EMUS 1467 and EMUS 5467.
EMUS 5467 - World Music Ensemble
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2024
Study and performance of musics of diverse cultures in the United States, including Native American, Latin American, African American and Asian American, as well as music from the mother cultures of these groups. Same as EMUS 1467 and EMUS 3467.
