Righting(Writing) the unwritten
The movement holds the history of that which is not written
Project Description
WHAT I DO
Duafe Body Care serves those who want to learn more about West African dance forms and those who want to teach these forms in educational institutions.
WHY I DO IT
Dancers often serve as cultural ambassadors and therefore are the keepers of history. In movement form, this often times undervalued population holds the stories and knowledge of US history and that of other societies. But, what beautiful lessons do we fail to learn as these stories are forgotten? Western Dance forms such as Modern Dance, Ballet, and Jazz often draw inspiration from and include traces of world dance forms, but these histories are not taught on a regular basis and create a certain level of erasure. I believe that some of this erasure is due to a lack of access to certain histories. In the Saga of African Dance and Black Studies Department, Doris Green mentions the challenges of finding a textbook for course work, and how some people devalued the coursework because of a lack of written documentation.
MY SOLUTION
West African dance and its histories are passed on through oral traditions, posing a challenge to instructors who need to provide a textbook to their students. I plan to use a series of interviews to archive the history of several prolific companies and their directors in order to create a resource that can be used by instructors to facilitate their classes. This resource will have several iteration one audio and one text version.
WHERE YOUR SUPPORT GOES
While there is no dollar amount that can truly cover the amount of knowledge these elders will/ have shared with me, supplies as an honorarium to those I interview. Funds will also be used to cover:
Compensation for those interviewed
Recording equipment
Travel cost
Training: editing video and text, culturally responsive interviewing, and project mentor
Editing Software
Oral history and dance are both embodied practices whose intersections can clearly be seen in the training of dancers. In my training as a West African dancer, my instructors shared stories that facilitated both my understanding of the specific form and that of United States dance history. They say when an elder dies a library burns to the ground, so I plan to archive some of these stories to create access for the next generations. This project uses my dance lineage as a road map to conduct interviews that archive the dance and music histories of some prolific West African forms-based artists and begins to highlight how their work informed American Concert Dance.
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
1.What does duafe mean?
Duafe is an Adinkra symbol from the Akan people. Often symbolized by a wooden hair comb it is a reminder of beauty, nurturing, and all things feminine
2.What services does Duafe body care offer?
Instruction in West African dance forms
Consulting/ Mentoring artist in creating dance curriculum
Inspiration- free of charge we offer weekly inspiration quotes and a lifestyle blog.
3. how long have you studied dance?
I am well into my third decade
4. How long have you been an educator?
for about two decades.
Just Because I Care
I am grateful for your support and to thank you your name will be included in " Thankful Thursday" post for Duafe Body Care instagram page. The post will be made and shared during the week of your donation
I am grateful for your support and to thank you your name will be included in two consecutive " Thankful Thursday" posts for the Duafe Body Care Instagram page. The post will be made and shared during the week of your donation and the following week. Please Instagram name if you have one
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shout outs( Please include Instagram name if you have one). You will receive one virtual dance with me. We can decide on a time that work best with our lives, and this class can be gifted to someone else if you would like.
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shoutouts ( Please include Instagram name if you have one). You will receive two virtual dance or dance education consultations with me. We can decide on a time that works best with our lives, and this class can be gifted to someone else if you would like. The dance class would be a West African form, but consultation could cover any dance for you need help planning for
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shoutouts ( Please include Instagram name if you have one).
You will receive an individualized mini-course choose either than dancer option or the instructor option
The dancer option: breakdown of movement and song, choreography, and historical and contextual knowledge.
Teacher option: Assistance in writing an entire dance unit that includes objectives, lesson plans, and assessments. We can decide on a time that works best with our lives, and this class can be gifted to someone else if you would like. The dance class would be a West African form, but consultation could cover any dance form you need help planning for.
Mini-course would happen across 4 sessions.
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shoutouts ( Please include Instagram name if you have one).
You will receive an individualized mini-course choose either than dancer option or the instructor option and special behind-the-scenes access to Archival process. This temporary access will include video, portions of interviews.
Mini-course would happen across 4 sessions.
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.
Rewards
Just Because I Care
I am grateful for your support and to thank you your name will be included in " Thankful Thursday" post for Duafe Body Care instagram page. The post will be made and shared during the week of your donation
I am grateful for your support and to thank you your name will be included in two consecutive " Thankful Thursday" posts for the Duafe Body Care Instagram page. The post will be made and shared during the week of your donation and the following week. Please Instagram name if you have one
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shout outs( Please include Instagram name if you have one). You will receive one virtual dance with me. We can decide on a time that work best with our lives, and this class can be gifted to someone else if you would like.
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shoutouts ( Please include Instagram name if you have one). You will receive two virtual dance or dance education consultations with me. We can decide on a time that works best with our lives, and this class can be gifted to someone else if you would like. The dance class would be a West African form, but consultation could cover any dance for you need help planning for
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shoutouts ( Please include Instagram name if you have one).
You will receive an individualized mini-course choose either than dancer option or the instructor option
The dancer option: breakdown of movement and song, choreography, and historical and contextual knowledge.
Teacher option: Assistance in writing an entire dance unit that includes objectives, lesson plans, and assessments. We can decide on a time that works best with our lives, and this class can be gifted to someone else if you would like. The dance class would be a West African form, but consultation could cover any dance form you need help planning for.
Mini-course would happen across 4 sessions.
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.
I am grateful for your support.
In addition to receiving two weekly Instagram shoutouts ( Please include Instagram name if you have one).
You will receive an individualized mini-course choose either than dancer option or the instructor option and special behind-the-scenes access to Archival process. This temporary access will include video, portions of interviews.
Mini-course would happen across 4 sessions.
Please remember to include your email so that I can thank you and send you the zoom link.