ELE Experience: “FOLI” There Is No movement Without Rhythm: With uplifting African rhythms and vibrant dance steps Wosé can bring fun and energy to any classroom. Students learn the value of cultural diversity and the traditions of drumming in Africa. We teach simple and effective rhythms from West Africa, explaining the significance of each rhythm and how drums, dance and singing are an integral part of everyday African life.

Program Description: Explore the elements of musical techniques within African drumming including understanding poly-rhythms, composition, melody, harmony, tones, pitches, basses, improvisation and arrangements. Wosé of Charleston specializes in teaching traditional West African rhythms and dances from Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and more. The Major Goal of Wosé is to provide fun and informative classes that bring awareness to the similarities and influences of West African culture on American culture.

Sample Lessons

(See “Additional Information” for a print out of this lesson)

Students use dance movement, traditional life stories and their creative energy

to explore learning concepts of math, science and literature.

3rd-8th Grade: Math and Dance – Students explore math concepts such as

multiplication facts through movement and song.

3rd-8th Grade: History and Dance – Learn history (characters and facts)

through traditional chants and movement.

3rd-8th grade: Science –Explore the science through movement and imagination.

SC Standards for Dance Addressed During this Experience:

D3-2.1 Use movement exploration to discover, compose, and perform solutions to movement problems based on a variety of stimuli (for example, sensory cues, ideas, moods).

D3-3.5 Explore and perform dances and create brief movement sequences that communicate feelings and ideas.

D5-4.1 Create and demonstrate multiple solutions to several complex movement problems (for example, moving through space in a curved pathway while changing levels) and identify the most interesting solutions.

D6-3.1 Identify and demonstrate the difference between literal and abstract gestures

D7-7.3 Create a movement phrase that demonstrates an understanding of a concept or idea from another discipline or everyday life (for example, symmetry, asymmetry).

D8-3.2 Analyze the main idea, theme, or feeling of a dance in relation to a personal context