Having documented Afro-cultural music and dance from Gambia to Georgia, this Oberlin College ensemble is your resource for teaching students about the traditions and influences of the African continent on cultures around the world.

About the program

New Performing Arts has worked for several years to locate a quality program in African cultural traditions in order to supplement education not only in the arts and humanities but in multicultural studies as well – and we’ve found the real thing!

Dance Diaspora, out of Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH,  has as its goal the maintenance of traditional African dance forms, acknowledging the philosophy and diversity of African culture as it has been disseminated in its various expressions throughout the diaspora (African people in exile in the West.)  The company, founded ten years ago by dancer and storyteller Adenike Sharpley, works to document and study African dance and music around the world, traveling with students this year to Gambia and Cuba in order to study with masters of dance in those countries.

Programs may present diverse themes through the African-American vernacular of dance (such as blues, jazz, and hip-hop), African-Caribbean dance, African-Brazilian dance, and traditional African dance as it is interpreted by groups living outside of Africa.  This is an excellent opportunity to integrate music, dance, and culture in a single program, focusing upon an area (African/African-American) that many districts are eager to explore with their students.  While their program is mainly from a cultural perspective, Dance Diaspora is currently working with the Core Content for Assessment in aligning their program to reinforce the elements of music and dance for students as well.

Availability:	October 22-26, 2007 / March 24-28, 2008
Costs for programming:	$1,200 / 4 programs*
Program format:	Assemblies or Workshops
Audience limit:	250/elementary 300/MS & HS
* Prices above reflect significant subsidy from New Performing Arts' fundraising with arts education supporters statewide and nationally.

About the Artist

Performing with the ensemble are dancers and musicians brought together through the vision of the company’s artistic director and manager, Adenike Sharpley.  Adenike is a professional artist, choreographer, and dancer, having studied in Cleveland with Elaine Gibbs and Margaret Christian and with Bill MacKay of Spelman College.  Adenike’s dance training has included work with famed West African drummer Babatunde Olatunji, Cuban dancer Juanita Barro, the National Bahamian Dance Company, and noted dancer/choreographer Katherine Dunham. As a result of these experiences she possesses a wealth of knowledge in African cultural expressions, which she shares with the dedicated and talented young performers who make up Dance Diaspora.

Photo: John Seyfried