Tonight we had a short history lesson on Samana as well as a longer dance lesson. We were taught about the African American immigrants who came to Samana in the 1820s (when Dominican Republic was under the rule of Haiti). This has created a culture that is a bit different in Samana as compared to rest of the country. They have some different traditions, food, cultural norms, and dances.
Tonight we learned three of those dances. It was informative and fun. All of the dances were partner relate and also communal. All of the dances are done with the dancers and audience in a circle. We learned this communal aspect of dancing is extremely important in Samana. The ladies also all wore traditional dresses.
In general it was definitely an experience and not one I will forget anytime soon.
Rob
No comments:
Post a Comment