Department of Music

There are two main aspects of the UVA African Music and Dance Ensemble, drumming/dancing/singing of the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo, for which they have often had guest artists come to teach and perform with the group, and the singing/dancing/drumming of BaAka people of the Central African Republic where Michelle Kisliuk did most of her Africa research.  The BaAka music and dance that Michelle teaches is unique in that UVA is the only place, other than its home in the rainforest, where this music is learned and performed (the Ewe music from Ghana has a worldwide network of institutional instruction and performance since at least the mid-1970s).  Adapting the BaAka music to the classroom and stage has been a major focus, since this tradition is embedded in community life and addresses many things foreign to UVA students, including hunting and gathering, and the group finds correlations in their own lives that address the issues that are immediately important to them, including issues or racism and gender oppression, climate emergency (BaAka know how to live with each other on the planet without exploiting or destroying).  One of the central aspects of Michelle's research and teaching has been the BaAka women's dance called Elamba, for which students must become inducted in order to be allowed to dance (anyone can sing the songs, though).  Highlights include not just their performance with Ewe guest artists but the small gatherings than make for a strong community of performers.  The group has potluck dinners every semester during which students introduce themselves and establish in many cases lifelong friendships).

 

Listen to Michelle Kisliuk speak on Charlottesville Podcast about African Music & Dance upcoming performance and their 20 year reunion: http://www.cvillepodcast.com/2017/04/02/home-grown-uvas-mcintire-departm...