There was only one rule.
“Your one order is to have fun tonight,” said Sylviane Kalenga,a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo and a dance leader atWednesday night’s Art of African Dance.
The event was hosted by the African Student Organization as partof their first-ever African Week.
“We wanted to have a week where we teach other students aboutthe African culture,” said Olusola Daves, president of the AfricanStudent Organization. “[Africans] are a very diverse culture, andwe wanted to show people that.”
Daves said the idea for a week dedicated to African culture wasinitiated by a survey that asked students simple questions aboutAfrican culture.
“The answers we received showed a very primitive amount ofknowledge,” Daves said. “The answers were things about Africansthat you would read in a book, not see in the country.”
Students of different races and ethnicities brought a little bitof African rhythm to the quiet halls of East Campus Apartments’Nora N. Power Activity Center. With colorful skirts and islandbeats, African students brought a little bit of their culturesacross the Atlantic.
“This is not a performance, but a participation activity,” saidBanti Zehyoue, a Liberia native and dance leader.
Participants and curious onlookers quickly were instructed toremove their shoes and follow the commands of the four Universitystudents on exchange from Africa.
The steps demonstrated were compiled from the cultures ofNigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Uganda. Asthe steps were taught, the participants learned that each Africancountry has a very significant style to their dance.
The leaders, each a native of one of the countries, led studentsof all races in performing a few steps, then opened the floor forparticipants to try.
Laughter and cheers filled the air as participants encouragedtheir friends and the leaders to take center stage and show thegroup their moves.
“I am glad I got to come,” said Monica Leger, an English senior.”I learned about it in my African American literature class and myteacher is giving extra credit, but I used that as an excuse togo.”
Leger was surprised to learn she and her date would have toparticipate.
“I had no idea we had to dance too,” Leger said. “I am not toogood in the dance department, and I do not really want to dance infront of the guy I brought.”
The leaders and organizers of the event were pleased with theturnout.
“I helped organize this program and encouraged all of myresidents to come,” said Chinyere Nwabugwu, a native of Nigeria andmember of the African Student Organization. “I wanted to get peopleout and teach them about African culture, which often gets confusedwith African American culture.”
Daves hopes to see African Week continue as an annualtradition.
“I hope this continues,” Daves said. “There are many things leftto be done.”