The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
East African Dance in Weymouth
Basil, an East African performer educates school children in traditional dance
In partnership with:
Overview
An East African performer, Basil, visits a local school in Weymouth to teach the children about his culture and traditions. African dance is related to personal history of ethnicity, region and language. Each dance is a way of teaching social values to the community. The dancer’s voice and a drum beat accompany the dancing and individual expression follows.
Dance in most African countries is seen as an expression of community and draws on the experiences of life. A collective rhythm encourages audience participation. Dances of Love, Rites of Passage and Coming of Age are performed and a young person is encoraged to express themselves building confidence. Modern African dance with its polyrhythms has a global appeal and marries traditional dances with contemporary moves.
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