ABOUT US
Founded in 1993, African Rhythms is a performing arts group at the University of Pennsylvania that seeks to educate the university and Philadelphia communities about West African and Afro-Cuban music and dance through bi-annual performances and local engagements. For more information about upcoming and past performances, view our Productions page. For more information about booking African Rhythms to perform at your event, visit our Contact page.
OUR HISTORY
HOW THE VISION OF AFRICAN RHYTHMS BECAME A REALITY
RAQIBA SEALY
It is ironic that I am writing an article about African Rhythms, for the Vision. The irony lies in the fact that a few short months ago, African Rhythms was merely a vision. With the help of Bill Roberts, Asia Slowe, Phyllis Dennis of the Greenfield Intercultural Center, and the people in the GIC African dance classes who were interested in performing (now members of the group), African Rhythms was born. Initially, we had no money, no costumes, no drummers, and no rehearsal space, and still African Rhythms came into being, against the odds.
Since my freshman year, I have had the vision of cultural diversity in the arts at PENN (particularly in the area of dance). Even though I am a graduating senior, I am excited and happy to see my vision become a reality at last. The Inspiration, a rhythm and blues a capella group was begun in the Spring of 1989. The African American Arts Alliance, a performing arts theater group was founded in the Fall of 1992. Finally, African Rhythms, an African dance performance troupe has come into existence the Fall of 1993.
With the help of financial contributions from The Du Bois College House Council, PENN Women’s Center, the Black Student League, The African-American Resource Center and the Afro-American Studies department, we were able to get costuming, extra rehearsal space and accessories. Our first performance was as a guest act for the Inspiration in early November. Our second performance was for the Kwanzaa celebration in December. In January, we held auditions and four new members joined the group. Since then we have sought and obtained PAC recognition, SAC recognition and SAC funding. Also, we have performed at the University Museum, Africa Day, Black Culture Night, and we will be performing for the opening of African Unity Week in ____. I named the group African Rhythms because I felt that the rhythm and culture of Africa encompass Black cultures around the world. Often, while we are learning a new West African dance, we find that it resembles a contemporary dance form of Black urban youth or when we observe South African gumboots dancing, we note that it resembles stepping. There are countless other examples of similarities to support these observations. Currently, the group only performs dances from West Africa. In the future, the group will expand its repertoire to include dances from Africans in the Diaspora, as well as Africa.
We educate PENN, the surrounding communities, and ourselves about the culture of Africans, through dance, percussion, and workshops. Through group activities, we practice the African aesthetics of unity and cooperation. All of us strung the beads that we use to adorn ourselves and we always hold a circle of affirmation before performances. We also try to practice self-sufficiency so we even made our first set of costumes.
The relationship between the dancers and the drummers is integral to the success of the group; therefore we actively work to cooperate with one another. This relationship is similar to a marriage. In order for the dancers to properly perform the dances, we must listen to the beats that the drummers play and respond to them. Conversely, the drummers must play the beat at the correct tempo, in order for the dancers to keep up.
There are twelve dancers: Alaina Anderson, Kristen Berry, Onyx Finney, Angine Harriott, Yasmine Holsey, Marjorie Janvier, LaShanta Johnson, Gardith Marceline, Janine Peterson, Christine Roberts, Raqiba Sealy, and Glory Udubot. Asia Slowe is our manager. We have three drummers: Michael Coffey, Ayo Fapohunda, and Mamadou Johnson. We are instructed in dance technique by Mary Williams of the Ibeji Dance Company. Paul Lucas of the Ibeji Dance Company instructs the drummers in djembe and djundjun drum technique. We hold private rehearsals, though we offer dance classes for anyone who is interested.
April 1994, The Vision
Since my freshman year, I have had the vision of cultural diversity in the arts at PENN (particularly in the area of dance). Even though I am a graduating senior, I am excited and happy to see my vision become a reality at last. The Inspiration, a rhythm and blues a capella group was begun in the Spring of 1989. The African American Arts Alliance, a performing arts theater group was founded in the Fall of 1992. Finally, African Rhythms, an African dance performance troupe has come into existence the Fall of 1993.
With the help of financial contributions from The Du Bois College House Council, PENN Women’s Center, the Black Student League, The African-American Resource Center and the Afro-American Studies department, we were able to get costuming, extra rehearsal space and accessories. Our first performance was as a guest act for the Inspiration in early November. Our second performance was for the Kwanzaa celebration in December. In January, we held auditions and four new members joined the group. Since then we have sought and obtained PAC recognition, SAC recognition and SAC funding. Also, we have performed at the University Museum, Africa Day, Black Culture Night, and we will be performing for the opening of African Unity Week in ____. I named the group African Rhythms because I felt that the rhythm and culture of Africa encompass Black cultures around the world. Often, while we are learning a new West African dance, we find that it resembles a contemporary dance form of Black urban youth or when we observe South African gumboots dancing, we note that it resembles stepping. There are countless other examples of similarities to support these observations. Currently, the group only performs dances from West Africa. In the future, the group will expand its repertoire to include dances from Africans in the Diaspora, as well as Africa.
We educate PENN, the surrounding communities, and ourselves about the culture of Africans, through dance, percussion, and workshops. Through group activities, we practice the African aesthetics of unity and cooperation. All of us strung the beads that we use to adorn ourselves and we always hold a circle of affirmation before performances. We also try to practice self-sufficiency so we even made our first set of costumes.
The relationship between the dancers and the drummers is integral to the success of the group; therefore we actively work to cooperate with one another. This relationship is similar to a marriage. In order for the dancers to properly perform the dances, we must listen to the beats that the drummers play and respond to them. Conversely, the drummers must play the beat at the correct tempo, in order for the dancers to keep up.
There are twelve dancers: Alaina Anderson, Kristen Berry, Onyx Finney, Angine Harriott, Yasmine Holsey, Marjorie Janvier, LaShanta Johnson, Gardith Marceline, Janine Peterson, Christine Roberts, Raqiba Sealy, and Glory Udubot. Asia Slowe is our manager. We have three drummers: Michael Coffey, Ayo Fapohunda, and Mamadou Johnson. We are instructed in dance technique by Mary Williams of the Ibeji Dance Company. Paul Lucas of the Ibeji Dance Company instructs the drummers in djembe and djundjun drum technique. We hold private rehearsals, though we offer dance classes for anyone who is interested.
April 1994, The Vision