by Alicia Massey, staff reporter
Students went to Brooklyn Academy of Music Howard GIlman Opera House to see the 39th DanceAfrica. DanceAfrica is the largest festival of Dance from Africa.
DanceAfrica centers around a celebration for Senegal, a West African country. The purpose of this trip was for the students to be influenced in this celebration. This performance was known as Senegal: Doors of Ancient Futures. It was to highlight and unite the past and present of Senegal with the potential of the future.
“As a dancer, the dancing was okay. I liked the dancing but I feel like they didn’t put all their effort into it,” sophomore Nyla McCalla said.
DanceAfrica uses an assortment of elements in the performance. They have artists who mainly play percussion. They use the dance ballante which is a traditional dance from Senegal. It is emphasized to honor the power and strength of a warrior.
“The drumming was really intense and I feel like it got the show started,” sophomore Emily Perez said.
Sabar is another style of dance and rhythm that was shown the performances. Sabar masters have made this art form a phenomenon in the past fifty years. Throughout the show, there were expressions that spoke through the dances. The dancers also incorporated vocabulary from Senegal’s native language.
“It was really fun and I wish I could go next year,” senior Adriana Anez said.
DanceAfrica included interaction with the audience. One of the performers showed the audience at what tempo they should clap and even taught the audience a couple of phrases from a song.
