Rave or Rhythm?

There's a lot more to African dance than meets the eye. Teenagers in Britain like to go clubbing and dance to the latest dance anthems. In rural areas of Africa dance is performed to any rhythmic beat. However, in the city there is a danger of traditional dance dying out because of young people taking on more European styles of modern dance. Just like in Britain, the people of Africa can dance for hours on end.

Rubba explained "every dance has a meaning like its sign language. The drums and other instruments can vary according to the purpose of the dance and the feeling you want to create in the dancer."

We asked some year 9 students their views. Elliot Dean said "I enjoy the African dances because you get different beats."

Bethany Meakin said, "African dance involves more complicated movements and has more of a purpose."

The Art of Africa

At the start of the week we didn't know what to expect from art but our eyes were certainly opened. We learned how art plays an important role in everyday life. Our task was to design a tile using African patterns and symbols as inspiration. Many of these depicted animals, people and bright repeated patterns. In the process we learned about African Art as an important part of religion. In the Yoruba kingdom of Oyo, shrines contain ornate masks, sculptured figures, rich clothing and jewellery in honour of the gods. These traditions are featured in modern African art. At the end of the day everybody's tile was different, reflecting the diversity of the African continent.

Miss Gardner, of the Art Department, said "everyone has worked really hard, and the projects are already being displayed around the school."

Ayo-the African story teller.

Drama activities kicked off with a story telling session. Whilst students put their thinking caps on to create a story of their own, we were lucky enough to speak to the African story-teller himself. We wondered why Ayo was sitting on a stool in the middle of the room. Apparently the eldest person in a family always sits on a stool to tell stories. These stories are a fundamental part of their culture and entertainment, with all the family gathered around. Story tellers are highly skilled people who tell their stories with flair and imagination and make their living by doing so. Their stories often have a strong message or moral.
Ayo said 'I have enjoyed the experience of working with Theale students as they have many imaginative ideas.' He also told us that the use of voice was one the most important aspects of story telling. He uses his voice to create characters and develop tension. Ayo continued 'the choice of words is very important. They have to be vivid and descriptive.' We sat in on the session (cross legged, in true story telling tradition, of course!) and were soon drawn into the story. Gestures, humour and participation from the students all ensured a lively, memorable session. Check out the African story books and poetry collections in the library if this whets your appetite.


Mrs Walters's Wanderings

Obviously no-one can top Mr Jennings' African adventure. However, Mrs Walters has her tale to tell. As a geography teacher you would have expected her to have travelled the world and that is exactly what she has done. She went to Africa during the Muslim Ramadam festival, where she stayed in a lodge. She was not alone, although she might have preferred to have been, after being followed by a hoard of hungry monkeys! Other animal antics included being chased by an elephant (luckily she was on a bus at the time!) On a more serious note she witnessed some of the extreme poverty in a visit to Nairobi.

Find out about more travel adventures tomorrow!

Contributions by:- Mark Robertshaw, Emma Pickford, Sarah Palmer, David Hampton, Josie Mitchell, Sarah Waring, Sally Zing, Sam Poliquin,. Luke Martin and Helen Spokes.

 

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