Excerpts from The Journey (K-12)

This dance performance is a trip through time and space to cultures within Africa and the African Diaspora. Through drumming, song and dance, Sankofa Kuumba represents aspects of traditions including West Africa, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Cuba, America, Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Mandeng Dance and Drumming (3-12)

This performance is actually a workshop-performance combination....

Discover what a Drum Circle is.

Dances of the African Diaspora

On the African continent, dances are as diverse as the countries and cultures. In this workshop...

ELAI: Diversity Training and Positive Youth Development Workshop

Diversity Training through the arts offers a powerful experience where participants explore and express new awareness of diversity through collaborative, creative activities. More info.

Residencies

These award-winning programs can be conducted both in-school and after-school, and can be located either at school facilities or at local community centers. Sankofa is a versatile group, able to offer many different configurations depending on your needs and budget. You can request anything from a single dancer or drummer to an ensemble of several dancers and drummers. Prices depend on the number of artists, amount of time and travel considerations.

Sankofa always performs in full, traditional African dress and uses authentic African instruments in its programs.

To book Sankofa Kuumba for an educational program or performance, or to inquire about dees and availability, please contact:

Regina
phone: 860-635-0725
fax: 860-632-0391
e-mail: regina@sankofakuumba.org

The Journey: Ancestors

Students explore African culture and history through the learning and making of songs, dances and visual/textile arts. Each student is also led through activities designed to help them explore their own cultural heritage. The workshops conclude by studying the impact of culture and ancestry on our sense of identity: who we are and how we understand and experience the world.

The Journey: Amistad

The Amistad replica is an invaluable educational tool, offering the opportunity to explore the confluence of African and European culture and to learn about the history of slavery and civil rights in this country. Curriculum includes a field trip to the Amistad, instruction in African (Mende) dance and drumming, and the creation of art and/or song. A detailed written curriculum of lessons, activities and goals is available.

• Enhancing the Curriculum Through Kinesthetic, Musical Intelligence

Movement, drumming and song can be woven into a curriculum to develop a wide range of talents and intelligences while deepening understanding of multi-culturalism, building learning skills and improving writing abilities. The Sankofa Kuumba workshop artist(s) demonstrate this kinesthetic learning process by providing teachers with the practical skills needed to facilitate an authentic musical environment in the classroom, using activities in the Sciences, Social Studies and Language Arts curriculum. Designed for non-musicians, these activities enhance listening skills and powers of observation by comparing African drumming and song techniques with those of other cultures.

• Cultural Competency: Staff Development Training

School Programs (click for descriptions)

• The Journey - K-12
• The Journey: Amistad - K-12
• Bridging the Gap: Dance and Disabilities: K-12