Dance Classes - Beginners Welcome

Classes are held at the Pan African Connection 612 E. Jefferson, Dallas, TX 75240 (2nd. Floor).

Dance Classes - Beginners Welcome: Enjoy the energetic learning experience African Dance and Exercise every Tuesday, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM  *  $10/per class

Drum & Dance Workshops: We conduct on-site workshops, classes and presentations for schools, churches, corporations, private and community based organizations.

More than Drum and Dance, learn about the History, Language, Culture and the global impact of African Music and Dance expression.

For more information call 817-640-1716 or email babakwasi@seemeonline.com

African Dance Classes and Workshops
African dance is another vehicle of language arts that have significant movements with specific meaning and purpose. Most African dances are designed to communicate a particular message.

Dance class and workshop participants are informed of the existence and purpose of various dances and learn specific movements and techniques used for wedding ceremonies, youth rites of passage, funerals, harvest dances, etc. Our classes stresses movements from the west and central of Africa, the African American diaspora and Caribbean Islands. Dance and hand clapping techniques along with songs and playing of African musical instruments are taught as part of the dance workshop. The class is accompanied by music and includes warming up exercises.

African Drumming Classes and Workshops
A brief presentation is conducted on the history and relationship of African music in connection with aspects of African culture and it’s impact on world music and other cultures.
In the words of Baba Ishangi of the Ishangi Dancers in New York,  “music is a form of conveying and transmitting information." African drum is not Morse code; it is the actual imitation the human voice using drums and other instruments that reflect the spoken language of the musician. It is believed by some that the beat of the drums represent the forces of life, correlating to the beat of the human heart.

Participants who have instruments will be instructed on how to use them, and eventually play together as an orchestra by the end of the session.

Baba Ishangi of the Ishange Family African Dancers (picture shown on left) was one of many special guest brought to Dallas, Texas  to conduct public and private workshops on dance, drum, history, language and culture.  We praise and honor the life of Baba Ishangi's accomplishments by continuing to lead by the example of doing our best while inspiring others to do and be their best.

African Music Lecture and Demonstration
A collection of African instruments which include, conga drums, talking drums, ashiko, djimbe, kinkini, doundoun drum, agogo (bell), shekere (beaded gourd), sanza (thumb piano), and many others instruments. A select assortment of instruments would be introduced, demonstrated and their use explained, along with their relationship to other traditional instruments used on our societies.

The makeup of a traditional African orchestra will be covered, in addition to a demonstration of the intricacies of African polyrhythmic style. The African tradition of call and response singing, which carries over into instrumental music as well, the use of hand clapping, foot stomping, and the use of the voice to imitate sounds are all part of the wealth of expression utilized in African music and the workshop.

Since both drum and dance are forms of expression and communication, our workshops are designed to lay the foundation for positive and productive human relations and transcending those common values of confidence, self-determination, goal setting and collective work and responsibility through forms of African music and dance expression.