Course Description
In most sub-Sahara African cultures, music and dance is not merely entertainment and exist in isolation from society that produces them. Rather, it is interwoven into the historical, socio-cultural, and the political lives of the people. This aspect of a three-component study abroad course is designed to use research and performance methodologies to evaluate and analyze the context within which these are art forms are performed in Ghana and to some extent their global representations. The course centers on the concept of a total performance experience - combining dance, music, singing, and storytelling - with the intent to educate about diverse Ghanaian cultures. Though dance and music is central to the experience, no music-dance experience or talent is required.