In West African Dance, learners will gain a fundamental understanding of the traditional dance styles originating from Western and Sub-Saharan Africa. Learners will explore the polyrhythmic sounds, and polycentric movements - from hip isolations to explosive leaps—that make up the canon of West African dance styles. Learners will also gain an understanding of the social function of West African dance-- to share oral histories, mark rites of passage, and build community-- from Africa, through the transatlantic slave trade and into the present.