West walks in a traditional red and black garb carrying a shell above his head. He walks on dirt with a forest in the background. Another dancer is in the background.

From the Village to the World and Back

Nikhita Winkler profiles Vetunjona "West" Uarije, a Namibian dancer and cultural practitioner who shares how dance connects him to his roots to heal a painful past and reintegrate a strong cultural identity.

January 2, 2023  |  Read Article

Students take Maguette's class with a drummer in the corner. High rises are out the windows behind them,

“It Always Comes Back to African Dance”

Maguette Camara, a globally recognized West African dancer, choreographer, teacher, and drummer based in New York City, shares how African dance is at the root of most dance forms and thus benefits any dancer to train in, as well as how New York City has a flourishing African dance scene.

March 14, 2022  |  Read Article

Momar sits in a chair on a sidewalk. Pieces of paper are taped to the wall behind him.

Discerning The Diversity and Multiplicity of Dances within Africa

Momar Ndiaye, a dance artist from Senegal who is on faculty at the American Dance Festival and is an assistant professor at Ohio State University, talks about the political, technical, and social aspects of why Afro diasporic dance forms deserve equal footing with European classical dance forms in American college dance programs.

March 7, 2022  |  Read Article