The Evolving Rhythms: African Diaspora Dance Practices in Canada Conference
May 12-18, 2025, Hybrid Delivery
Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Canada
Theme: Celebrating and advancing the rich legacy and innovation of African and African diasporic dance practices within Canada’s cultural landscape.
The Evolving Rhythms: African Diaspora Dance Practices in Canada conference is a pioneering event aimed at celebrating and exploring the diverse dance traditions rooted in African heritage within the Canadian context. This interdisciplinary gathering will provide a platform for artists, scholars, cultural practitioners, and community members to engage in exchanges through critical discussions, workshops, and performances. This event recognizes the rich history of African-rooted dance traditions and their evolving expressions in the Canadian context, honoring their role in shaping a multicultural, inclusive, and dynamic world. As African diasporic dance practices continue to evolve, this symposium seeks to highlight their contribution to Canada’s cultural fabric. The conference celebrates the rich heritage of African, Black, and Caribbean dance traditions as vital connections to cultural identity and ancestral roots. It highlights the innovative adaptations arising from intercultural exchange, showing how African diasporic dance forms in Canada integrates diverse influences while retaining its distinct voice. Furthermore, it underscores the transformative power of dance as a vehicle for social change, fostering collective action, amplifying marginalized voices, and strengthening resilience within African diasporic communities in Canada. The conference (in-person and virtual) will encompass an academic and community conference from 12-13 May, plus community workshops from 14-17th and a final performance showcase on the 18th of May.
Presentations can address any of the following topics as they intersect life in Canada:
- African Dance Practices in Unconventional Spaces
- African diaspora groups and the propagation of African cultural knowledge systems
- African Theatre Development in Canada and the diaspora
- Neo-Diasporic Dance: Evolving African and Caribbean Dance Traditions among diaspora groups.
- Embodied Knowledge: African and Caribbean Dance in North American communities
- African Dance forms in the Digital Age
- African performance forms as Tools for Social and Political Activism
- African Dance as Therapy and Wellness Practice in diaspora Communities
- Intergenerational Exchange: Passing Down African and Caribbean Dance Traditions in Canada and the diaspora
- Fusion Forms: African Diasporic Dance forms in Dialogue with Canadian and Global Dance Styles
- The Business of Culture: African Dance Entrepreneurship and Cultural Economy in Canada and the diaspora
- Documenting Diaspora: African Dance forms in Canadian Film, Media and feature film.
- Tracing the migration of African dance forms from the continent to the diaspora
- Cultural Appreciation and Cultural Appropriation: Commodification of African dance forms
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Embedding Afro-Caribbean Traditions in Diaspora Education Curricula
- Somatic Practices and Embodied Learning: Transforming Approaches to Dance Pedagogy
Conveners:
Eric Awuah, PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta
Professor Marko Zivkovic, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta