Compare and contrast “traditional”, “neotraditional”, and “contemporary” African dance.

1. Compare Welsh’s opinion of the term “African dance” to that of Kuwor’s (10.4- Kuwor Agbadza).

2. Compare and contrast “traditional”, “neotraditional”, and “contemporary” African dance.

3. Based on the information shared in class and the Mandiani reading about how the Mandiani came to be taught in the U.S., and the information shared about the Mandiani steps, would you classify the dance as traditional, neotraditional, or contemporary African dance? Please explain.

4. Discuss the confluence of dance, history, memory, and tradition as they relate to African aesthetic. (Read the entire essay before answering this question.)

5. Restate the importance of the use of the body and its parts in “African dance.”

6. Share your understanding of the four (4) elements of spirit as discussed in this essay. (I encourage you not to simply restate the author’s explanation.)

7. Name two culture bearers and their contribution to African dance in the Unites States.

8. How do you thing memory, “trace”, contemporary African dance, spirit and identity will factor the second half of this course?