African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. From Haiti to Jamaica, from drums rhythm or just clapping, from 200 years ago to today, dance is a part of the history. Camille A. Brown “leads her dance company through excavations of ancestral stories, both timeless and traditional, that connect history with contemporary culture.”
Africans brought their dances to North and South America, and the Caribbean Islands as slave labor and dance helped them to connect with their homeland keeping their cultural traditions alive.
TED-Ed
