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183708

(2019) Dance and the quality of life, Dordrecht, Springer.

West African dance and spiritual well-being for African Americans

Ojeya Cruz Banks

pp. 101-115

Through autobiographical writing and ethnographic observation, this study highlights the life experience and educational activism of Jeanette "Adama Jewel" Jackson, founder and director of African Soul International, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles. The chapter exemplifies how, for African Americans, African dance can be a critical practice of resistance, self-affirmation, and vital cultural recovery. The authors align with the premise of African dance scholar Thomas DeFrantz that rhythm and dance are a tangible hallmark of an African retention of heritage and spirituality that can afford a positive sense of identity. Fundamentally, the study highlights West African dance as a practice of spiritual well-being.

Publication details

Full citation:

Cruz Banks, O. (2019)., West African dance and spiritual well-being for African Americans, in K. Bond (ed.), Dance and the quality of life, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 101-115.

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