Abstract
In Britain, the performance of African peoples’ dance is principally visible within a theatrical setting. Many of the dances seen on stage were formerly part of community-defining participatory rituals and have become dance events in which the traditional dances are standardized representations for an audience with little firsthand knowledge of African or African-related cultures. The term ‘African peoples’ dance’ aims to reflect the complex diversity of dance and movement practices of both the African continent and the African diasporic cultures which can be witnessed in Britain. Introduced by dancer and choreographer, Peter Badejo (1993, p. 11), the term avoids the monolithicism of ‘African dance’ (see Kealiinohomoku, 1997 [1969–70/1983], p. 18) and has become common usage among people fighting for greater appreciation and promotion of African-derived dance, particularly as a theatre-dance artform.
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Jones, E.J.J. (1999). The Choreographic Notebook: a Dynamic Documentation of the Choreographic Process of Kokuma Dance Theatre, an African-Caribbean Dance Company. In: Buckland, T.J. (eds) Dance in the Field. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230375291_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230375291_8
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