THE POWER OF WEST AFRICAN DRUM AND DANCE
In 2004, I began a life changing journey that would provide answers unlocking the key to understanding “who I am and defining my life’s purpose.” For this, I am grateful for the spiritually uplifting experiences that West African drum and dance have provided me. The value of my self-discovery changed the trajectory of my life. The unearthing of my hidden talent for dance unlocked the desires of my heart and filled my life with love, joy, happiness, peace, and community. As I write this blog, I can speak my truth of the power that has come from my experiences of learning the language of this art form. It provides me with a canvass for expressing my sorrows, my fears, my suffering, and my pain. Through this journey I have come to realize that my experiences along the way have only served to teach me something greater about myself.
When I reflect on experiences that have resulted in personal pain and sorrow, I take full responsibility of those choices and for giving away my power in certain situations. You see, one of the most valuable lessons I have learned is to stop blaming others for my problems. Taking ownership for the results of our decisions takes courage with compassion for our self and others. Having compassion for myself has been my most difficult learning experience. For me, the seat of compassion is self-love. Prior to my discovery of West African drum and dance, I realized that what I lacked in my life was self-love. My journey back to an authentic state of being, which is love, only began to unlock when I moved with intention and non-judgment through dance.
Dance has given me purpose of expression for my feminine energy in a context that offers me a deeper meaning of my culture and its ancestral lineage. Understanding and ownership of my talent as a West African dancer has also released me of shame. I grew up feeling shame for being a female, shame for expressing my feminine energy, and a deeper shame for any sexual thoughts or behaviors. The fault of this belongs to no one person, however I see shame as a tool of religious ideology that serves to constrict and limit the normal human development of confidence and love. The knowledge gained through my experiences of dance have released me of the shame that shackled my growth and development. I now possess a view of myself as beautiful, healthy, strong, powerful and intelligent for this I am grateful to West African dance.
While in Africa, I have had the honor of witnessing dance in the context of a culture. Where the music and dance are uniquely joined for celebrating a wedding, the birth of a child, the honoring of a guest, the planting of seeds with a prayer, and the rejoicing of a harvest. So, when I began to look at drum and dance through the context of culture and community, I found a deeper appreciation for my identity as an African-American. This self-discovery filled in the blanks of historical information that was intentionally denied in our country. I no longer entertain the historical information given to that little smiling black girl sitting in her 5th grade Alabama history class looking at a book that spoke of slavery as a blip in time, and the pictures of those slaves looked just like me. I know now that the truth of who I am extends beyond the shores of this country and washes up on the coast of West Africa. For me the dance is not just a dance, but it is a visceral link to unlocking the holding patterns of shame, and suffering. What is healed are the wounds of hurt. What is restored is the Spirit of a wondering Soul. What is revealed is a talent for dance gifted from God. And, what is gained is knowledge of what it means to say, “I am African American.”
I encourage you to check out any community cultural arts classes happening near you. In these classes you will connect to others who are on the same journey of self-discovery. But, the most powerful gift gained is the sense of community. It delivers to us moments of shared interest with others. This is more important now than ever before. Step into these community spaces engage and learn something new and walk out spiritually restored. The beauty of this art form is that it takes a community to even create the music. This opens places for people of diverse backgrounds to come together and find common ground. I advocate that African drum and dance experiences are the keys to uniting us as a society. It is imperative that we find ways to move forward with the re-birthing process of our current social challenges. My passion for this belief is concrete because it worked for me. It has delivered me from shame and anger to confidence and love.
The other side of the African drum and dance experience is the feeling of sheer joy. There is truly nothing more powerful than the energy of African drum and dance. My healing journey through the art is my story. What was delivered to me was meant for me and I hold space for others to move through the art form with their own needs and desires and their story of discovery.
