How to Teach an African Dance
Teaching an African dance to schoolchildren can be a creative way to raise awareness about other cultures. You can also teach such a style of dance to attendees of a community cultural festival, at a church missions event, or those looking simply for fun and exercise. People of all ages can learn to dance to African music and choreography, as it's sure to get the heart pumping and the soul lifted with each and every movement.
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Instructions
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Organize your African dance lesson into three parts: warm-ups, technique, and choreography. Your warm-up time is an ideal moment to introduce your class to African dance music, playing it in the background as you lead the group in traditional dance stretches. Before class, decide what music you will play for which section, and write down on a piece of paper each step you'd like to teach.
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Require each student (or parent, if the students are minors) to sign a release form before the dance class begins. African dance is very physical and can place significant strain on a body not used to such movement. Protect yourself and your students by passing out legal release forms and warnings before class begins.
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Bring students into the center of the room and teach them basic steps. Start with one, and progress to several more as the class masters each step. You should teach no more than seven or eight steps in a single class. Some classes will only progress to three or four steps during class. The moves should get progressively more challenging. Remember to utilize the entire body, including foot stomps, hand claps and hip movements.
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Encourage students to sense the heartbeat of the music and to follow the drumbeats and other emphasized instruments as the basis for their movements. African dance movement is often rooted in the beat of the music, rather than other types of dance, which rely on counts.
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Direct the class to execute each step with you as a group, and then in pairs or individually. This will ensure that they have learned them properly. Leave time for correction and extra help when needed. Each student should be able to independently perform each step by name without example when the concept is successfully grasped. Research African dance websites if necessary (see Resources) if you need to teach yourself some authentic steps.
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Present your choreography to the class. Play your selected routine song and perform the entire dance for the students.
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Break the dance down and teach it in sections. For example, teach just arm movements or solely foot movements. When these are mastered, move on to synchronize the arms, feet and midsection. Breaking down the steps slowly and specifically will ensure better overall technique and execution by each student, and you can then proceed to focus individual attention on specific moves when necessary.
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Move around the room to follow the progress of each student individually. Teach your class in a room with ample mirror space, so each dancer can see his/her own progress as they learn. Having a dance assistant in the class can also help promote this focused learning time and bring the class up to speed together.
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Provide resources for your students to make their own costuming, especially if you are teaching a children's class. This may include grass skirts, painted masks or decorative headdresses. Focus on the specific African culture your dance steps come from. You can also sew or order costumes out of brightly colored African print fabrics, and have a formal performance on the last day of instruction for friends and family.
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Tips & Warnings
Maintain high energy. African dance is all about vibrancy and celebration. Students will feel energized when their teacher is exemplifying strong movements and expressive dance.
Give a brief history on any music or steps you choose to use. Students do better when they understand the basic background of what they are doing.
Students should dance in bare feet on a floor clear of any obstructions that could cause injury. Do not allow students to wear sneakers or clothing that restricts movement, such as jeans or tight shirts.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
