Here are four good reasons you should consider an African Dance Workshop can help to make a difference in your class:
1. African Drumming and Dance brings the world’s most important cultural issues to life!
2. African Drumming and Dance boosts children’s confidence!
3. African Drumming and Dance gets children active , and improves their brain!
4. African Drumming and Dance improves listening skills , not only in music!
1. African Drumming and Dance brings the world’s most important cultural issues to life!
A African Drumming and Dance workshop can be a wonderful activity for Black History Month, an Africa subject or in the celebration of a Cultural Diversity Day.
It’s an exciting experience for teachers and students alike, when they play the first rumble using the African Djembe hand drums. When each student plays their own drum they are able to explore a vast world of history, tradition , and culture. Not just simply listening or reading, but also by actively taking part. In this way, they can get to experience the culture and the culture from West Africa.
2. African Drumming and Dance boosts children’s confidence!
It is a common occurrence in workshops where a child who is struggling in maths and literacy or is shy and disengaged in school, totally changes when they are in a drumming class. It’s as if they’ve found something that “pulls” them emotionally and provides them with the feeling of having a relief.
African Dance is also a great way for kids to develop their self-confidence. Dancers typically perform in front of the crowd, in their own style or with two or more dancers. In our workshops, students are encouraged to dance with their friends within the circle of drums. The dance portion of the workshop is totally up to the participants however, we offer gentle encouragement by telling them that this experience will make feel good afterward. After a few more confident students tried it out then we see an array of children eager to give it the chance to try it. In this manner, the timid and quiet children delight everyone by joining in circles and exuding their enthusiasm in the music! The look of joy on the faces of children following this session speak to the extent of their satisfaction with their accomplishment!
3. African Drumming and Dance gets children active , and improves their brain!
African dance workshops is the perfect way get children active and release their energy. African Djembe drumming improves endurance and strength in the upper part of the body, while dancing improves cardiovascular fitness and is a total fitness routine for the entire body. It is evident that this is beneficial for improving the fitness of children and their health, but research shows that this type of exercise can sharpen the mind, makes for happier kids and enhances the performance of children in different subjects like reading and maths.
4. African Drumming and Dance improves listening skills , not only in music!
It’s a common thing that you will hear a teacher tell students in their music lessons”Listen!” For great reason, too. Because listening skills are crucial. Like any other genre of music, studying African drumming can help develop the ability to listen in a variety of ways. For instance, the ability to concentrate to an individual rhythm in a poly-rhythmic piece music (multiple rhythms performed simultaneously) or to develop the ability to feel the rhythm of the rhythm of a steady pulse.
Whatever kind of listening you need to do it is the same personal characteristic that is essential for any musician in training in the ability to allow oneself the chance to think and analyze what they have heard. Proficient African musicians who learn something completely new allow themselves to listen prior to playing because they know that their minds can easily form incorrect assumptions about what they’ve heard from the information they have already accumulated. However, children can have a hard time resisting to start playing immediately!
The good thing is that children are able to not only enhance their listening in music with African Drumming, but can apply this skill to social situations, for instance, in conversations. When you allow yourself to listen to what people are speaking, you can stop the internal chatter of your mind from making assumptions. Rather, take in what is saying and create more of a sense of trust which is known as active listening’ which is a valuable ability for children to acquire at a young age!
If you’re a teacher that would like to have a full day of African dancing and drumming workshops for your students, or you are planning some kind of Africa Topic or Black History event planned and you think we could assist us, we’d love to hear from you.
