Imani

By  SOPHIE JAFFER, LENA KOOK, ALLEGRA LAI, and EUPHORIA YANG

In the dance practice studios of the Goel Center for Theater and Dance, a group of thirteen dancers warms up together in preparation for a psyched up, high energy rehearsal. The group of hip-hop dancers, led by upper Nick Limoli and senior Minjae Suh, are Imani. 

Imani is a hip-hop group fully student led and choreographed, and they often are responsible for generating high energy in the stands at pep rallies and assemblies. “We hope to teach the basics of hip hop along with adding elements of more advanced dancing and other fun branching styles such as break dance,” Limoli explained. 

However, Imani’s origins trace back to Keya Guimarães in 1994, who hoped to create a fusion of modern genres of Hip Hop and Step with traditional West and East African styles. Meaning ‘faith’ in Swahili, Imani represents Guimarães’s thoughts that as a species, we need to have faith in the power of art to amplify cultural understanding and respect. 

“I founded Imani after I had been a young professional dancer in a Denver based Afro-Modern company, Cleo Parker Robinson. We were trained in American modern forms of dance as well as traditional West African and East African folk dances. I wanted to meld the traditional with the contemporary, and offer the Exeter community performances that crossed theater-dance-film mediums with the cultural and social underpinning of the African-American experience,” Guimarães said. 

An original member of the club, Claudia Cruz, reflected on Guimarães’s vision, as well as her fond memories of the club. “Imani was a cultural dance group and in those first years the focus was African and other ethnic folk dance,” Cruz explained. 

“We did a Thai dance to Prince’s “Seven” song that I still get chills over because it was so beautiful. Keya was an amazing dancer, choreographer and visionary and I think she saw this group of New Yorkers and told herself, ‘I can do something with all of this talent,’” she continued. 

“Imani is not a club that’ll teach you technique necessarily. It’s more of a community—it’s less based on what is right and what is wrong in the dance world, but it’s more about dancing together and having fun,” Suh added. 

The members of Imani come from all different dancing backgrounds, whether it be ballet, competitive dance, or even gymnastics experience. “Hip hop is a new style of dance for me and I love that Exeter has a welcoming community where I can improve alongside other dancers,” upper Sophia Zimmermann said. 

“My favorite thing about Imani is the community. Everybody’s really nice and I’ve been able to learn a lot from it, especially the fact that we choreograph our own dances,” prep Carrie-Anne Chen added. 

Guimarães also spoke of her mission to unite the Exeter community through art, which Imani provided the perfect vehicle to fulfill. “I myself am not of African-American ancestry, but my Chinese-Polynesian-Irish ancestry allows me a window into issues of race, prejudice, and cultural divides experienced by other marginalized groups in America. My dance training had included so much African-centric dance, so I naturally wanted to share this with Exeter’s community. While I was a student, I consistently was promoting and experimenting with the question of if art could serve as a vehicle of change and healing,” Guimarães explained.

“My favorite thing about Imani is that rehearsals are very productive. You’ll see something that’s super hard, you’ll learn it and it’s not actually that difficult. It’s like proving to yourself that you can do really hard choreography and it looks super cool,” upper Chloe Bosma said. “I learned from being in Imani that you don’t have to have a dance background to be a good dancer. It’s really about however hard you’re willing to work.” 

“Since joining the club last year, I learned how much I love performing for people. Being onstage or in front of a crowd makes me the happiest,” lower Shiloh Ffrench described. 

Some members also agreed being in Imani is a unique opportunity to embrace hip hop, as Exeter does not have many programs that feature this specific dance genre.

“I’ve really enjoyed doing hip-hop throughout my life, and I wanted to continue doing this style at PEA. Because the dance program does not include hip-hop in its curriculum, I joined Imani,” prep Faye Yang explained.

Imani has also been a source of inspiration for Suh, who didn’t start dancing until her arrival at Exeter. From being enticed by an Imani performance her prep year to becoming cohead, Imani has been a great way for her to network and officially enter the dance community.  

“One thing I learned from being in Imani as a dancer is that I learned how to dance with other people. Imani was the first setting where l had to be able to dance as a team. You need coordination and you could all be doing the same moves, but you could be doing them in different ways, so you have to be conscious about that as well,” Suh shared. 

Similar to Suh, Cruz also shared about the foundation of Imani, and the responsibilities that the dancers carry to spread cultural expressions through dance respectfully. 

“Imani was more than just a place and time. Imani allows you to grow, not only as a dancer, but as a person. Every dancer in a team is accountable to themselves and the group. These aren’t steps we practice in a dorm just for ourselves,” Cruz said. “These are cultural expressions we share with the world. If we aren’t in the right headspace and responsible, it can be a public embarrassment for the dancer and our community. Imani was a source of pride for those involved and we understood that what we did and what we danced had repercussions beyond the moment.”

The two coheads of Imani are eagerly waiting for the slew of performances to come throughout the year, especially as the club participation is high. “Club participation has been so great since I was a prep till now. There are always a lot of people interested in Imani and it makes me very happy that Imani is a space where I share my love for hip hop with others alike and meet new friends,” Limoli explained. “It’s a great way to connect with upper and lower classmen that you wouldn’t have met otherwise.” 

“We are planning to perform at pep rally this term, and it’s going to be super hype. We have the songs and dances all figured out, but have not agreed to release them because we want it to be a surprise,” Suh added.

Cruz and Guimarães both shared their messages and advice for the current members of Imani, as well as their pride for how far the club has progressed and evolved over the years at Exeter. 

“Words can’t express the joy I feel, and I’m sure other founding members as well, to know that Imani is still going strong and living up to its original mission. I hope to continue to see Imani flourish for decades to come. Happy 30th anniversary Imani!” Cruz said. 

“Keep evolving as a performance group, think outside the box and push your limits as creators!” Guimarães concluded. “Keep exploring how art can be a vehicle for social expression and healing! Ask philosophical questions and answer them through art. I am beyond proud that after 30 years this club has been passed down to Exonians interested in cultural identity, dance, and community. I started Imani to engender artistic faith in cultural change amongst my fellow Exonians. In the end, Imani gave me faith in myself, as an artist, healer and thinker.”