Welcome to one of Working Playgrounds' network ArtSpace blogs!

peace Working Playground Family,


This blog is apart of an after school African Dance MY WORLD model program at MS 271. Please take a moment to ponder our essential question as you view this blog:

How can I educate and inspire the world, and how does the world educate and inspire me?

Below is our Foundation Statement. This is the premise that our choreographic works will be built upon. Check it out!

Recognizing that dance is a universal language born from a need for cultural expression, students will explore the history of “classical” dance and “traditional/cultural” dance styles and the use of these as a tool for expressing ideas, beliefs, feelings etc. Our class will focus on traditional West African Dance and draw a line to its modern Hip Hop and Caribbean descendants as well as drawing the line backward from Hip Hop and Caribbean modern dance styles to current West African/African dances. Participants will write journal entries as well as oral presentations for a class share that will communicate how they have been affected by traditional West African dance and culture. Students will research the information necessary to create an educational and inspirational dance presentation that focuses on the similarities and unification of African Peoples worldwide. Our young people will also do a collaborative culminating event and performance with the other members of their network and begin to explore how their cultures and traditions inform the world. At the conclusion of the semester, our students will have a greater understanding of who they are, where they fit in the world and how to express their thoughts and feelings about themselves as well as how to translate these feelings into healthy actions toward educating and inspiring the world

We hope you enjoy your journey through our world. We aim to educate and inspire, so please let us know if you feel us.