MLK Day West African Drumming: Cultural Appropriation or Not?

For five consecutive years, dance instructor Allison Duke has directed the Martin Luther King Jr. Day student performance, which typically happens the night before the keynote speaker and the MLK workshops occur. These shows use a variety of the performance arts to communicate the powerful messages of inclusion, diversity, equity, coexistence and tolerance–values for which Martin Luther King Jr. advocated. Among many other forms of performance arts, such as song and spoken word, there are typically a few dance pieces performed by the dance program on campus. In past years, there have been dances that breach the topics of sexism, racism and inequality, as well as many other important issues. Typically, there is also a West African piece, performed in conjunction with the student group of West African drummers.

However, this year, the MLK Committee moved to remove the West African dance from the student show. According to the committee, the West African piece did not fit the theme of racial injustice, and therefore would be eliminated from the show. After cutting out the entire dance program from the student performance, the MLK Committee did not receive enough applications, and therefore could not run the show.

Previously, various acts in the student performance have not always pertained to the themes of their MLK Day counterparts. Last year, a group of students danced in a piece that emphasized the stereotypes and challenges women face in a beauty-centric world. At this year’s keynote assembly, the Concert Choir sang about the destruction of the Earth’s environment by war and natural causes, which is something completely unrelated to the theme of racial injustice. If anything, the celebration of culture, life and community unique to a certain group of countries which are currently persecuted by the forces of war and corruption that West African dance symbolizes would’ve had a clearer link to the topic of this year’s MLK Day.

Another underlying theme of this decision seemed to be the fact that dancers in the program are predominately white, and have no connection to the culture of West Africa nor its dance. According to senior Charis Edwards, a student on the MLK Committee, the West African dance was delinked because it made no sense to showcase “only one part of that culture,” which “misrepresents the experiences of the people of all races and cultural backgrounds we have on campus.” Head of the Dance Program Allison Duke also expressed concern that students around campus might see these performances and label them as “cultural appropriation.”

There is a campus-wide misconception that the West African dance is not respected and contextualized by the dancers who perform it. The dance program puts time and effort into hiring experts on each type of dance that it learns. Typically, the instructor will speak of what each dance move means and what the dance itself signifies to its specific culture. Earlier this year, Master Dancer Youssouf and Master Drummer Namory Keita (both from Guinea) came to Exeter and shared a part of their culture with the program. They also offered a master class for the entire community, where both artists explained to participants and observers their backgrounds and why it's important to them to share their culture and artistry in the United States.

When students of a different background come together and educate themselves on the art form of another culture, it is not simply borrowing or stealing. It is an appreciation for, and a desire to express an important part of that culture; to educate others and to celebrate the vast diversity of cultures that inhabit our planet. When teaching the traditional Guinean dance to a group of Exonians, Master Dancer Youssouf expressed his desire to make his culture known to the world. A major part of this, he said, was teaching it to other people, particularly those around the United States, so that the dance was both preserved and revered.

When the Exeter dance program dedicates its time and funding into bringing a teacher of West African dance, the students are not disrespectful or disengaged. Instead, they push to learn more about the meaning behind each move. If we truly want to bring MLK’s message to our community, we should focus on the celebration of diversity and the value in educating ourselves about cultures outside of our own. Using the West African dance as an example of this is a great way of teaching other Exonians about the joys of experiencing a completely different culture’s rituals.