African Dance

African dance is an ancient and venerable art tradition that has influenced dance styles all over the world. African dance has been an integral part of society for generations and it often commemorates and celebrates birth, rites of passage, harvest, and marriage ceremonies. Through its strong interplay with percussive instruments, African dance creates a polyrhythmic sensual and visual experience. There are many kinds of African dances and dances from other cultures that are representative of thousands of ethnic groups on the continent. Masked, stilt, ceremonial, recreational, and religious dance forms are found within the categories of traditional, neotraditional, and contemporary dance. In contemporary society, African dance is taught around the globe and has found an enthusiastic and receptive home in the United States and Europe. The pulse of African dance is a humanistic one and for centuries it has been the chronicler of history, traditions, and aesthetics. Book jacket.Welsh-Asante, Kariamu is the author of 'African Dance' with ISBN 9780791076415 and ISBN 0791076415.