Media and News Archive

MS Dancers Study and Perform Traditional West African Dance

Creativity and self-expression are at the core of a Dalton education. MS dance students in 7th and 8th grade study Sofa, a traditional warrior rhythm from Guinea, West Africa, which thrives in contemporary American Hip-Hop dance and music.
Dalton Dance Instructor Loganne Bond taught Sofa dance steps to each of our five dance classes while special guest Fara Camara, a celebrated Sofa percussionist, accompanied classes and shared the history of Sofa rhythms with our community.

In addition, 4th grade dance students engage in masterclasses with professional MS Dance Teacher Amadi Washington ’10. The students learn movement rooted in traditional West African dance, which leads to a study of the contemporary African Diaspora dance style known as hip-hop. We hope you enjoy this short clip of Preston and Smeltzer Houses learning a hip-hop dance phrase!

Story submitted by Dance Department Chair Joanna Brotman
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