African Dance in New York City

This article gave an interesting brief history of African concert dance in America. I was surprised by just how New York-centric the dance world is. I was also struck by the small size and the interconnectedness of the black concert dance scene; people like Asadata Dafora taught many of the biggest names in African dance including Pearl Primus, Ismay Andrews, and Katherine Dunham. The authors did a nice job of providing connections between the dance world and the historical context. For instance, the interest in African dance and music stimulated by the Black Power movement of the 1960's. This interest in African culture was also seen in the formation of the International African American Ballet that sought to educate its members about their African roots.
Martin Breu
Dance 163