African Dance in New York City: DANC 163: Ricky Chen

The article "African Dance in New York City" by Marcia E. Heard and Mansa K. Mussa is a concise and straightforward overview of African dance companies and prominent African dancers in New York City. It is interesting to note that while some African dancers brought their African influence straight from first-hand experience in Africa, dancers like Ismay Andrews recreated African dance from research and knowledge as a student of Asadata Dafora. Thus, African dancers did not necessarily mean dancers who are African, but artists who are able to tell a comprehensive tale of African culture and spirituality through dance and music. 

I find it interesting that some African dance companies require their dancers be drummers as well because "they thought it important all members of the company be able to play the rhythms they were dancing as well as to dance the rhythms they were playing." In my senior year of High School, I was invited to accompany a Shostakovich piece in a modern dance performance. I was allowed to rehearse the dance routine with the dancers, and after the exposure to dance, I realize how important it is to understand both the dance and the music because they complement each other. During the performance, I could visualize the music by watching the dancers and it was amazing to feel the music and the dance interact with each other. While during our dance course, we sometimes find it difficult to match our movements with the rhythm and the music, but when it comes together, it is an amazing feeling.