Dance club sponsors West African dance class

Dance club hosts West African dance class in honor of Black History Month Feb. 8.

Students+watch+guest+dancer+Vanessa+Gibbs+demonstrate+a+West+African+dance+Feb.+8.+Gibbs+has+taught+West+African+dance+since+1987.+photo+by+Mary+Massman

Students watch guest dancer Vanessa Gibbs demonstrate a West African dance Feb. 8. Gibbs has taught West African dance since 1987. photo by Mary Massman

by Mary Massman, Lifestyles Editor

Dance club sponsored a West African dance class during activity two in the dance studio Feb. 8. The class was taught by Vanessa Gibbs with her husband Elisha accompanying the dancing with live drumming. The class was held in honor of Black History Month.

Dance club moderator and yoga teacher Andrea Skowronek, who knows Vanessa and Elisha, was excited to bring this aerobic and energetic style of dance to the school.

“I thought it would be fun for black history month to have them as guests because it’s real, traditional West African dance, which then came to this country and has developed into tap and jazz and hip-hop,” Skowronek said. “It’s a long lineage and dance is a part of the cultural history of West Africa and African culture.”