Scope and Contents

The Oral History of DanceAfrica, D.C. contains six audio interviews conducted by Sarah Greenbaum and Jonathan Hsu in 2018. Indexes and transcripts are included for all interviews.

Scope and Contents

This series is the second grant for Oral History of DanceAfrica, D.C. DanceAfrica is a celebration of dance forms of the African Diaspora and is held annually in Washington, D.C., New York, New York, and Chicago, Illinois. The festival includes performance, films, master classes, educational programming, and a bazaar. This oral history project features six interviews with members of the DanceAfrica, D.C. elders’ council.

Scope and Contents In this oral history Sylvia Soumah reflects on her young life growing up in a Cincinnati, Ohio housing project, falling in love with dance, and building her career in dance in Washington, D.C. In Cincinnati she attended a performing arts high school, upon graduation she worked at a German restaurant, until, at age 20, she left for Washington D.C. While waitressing in Adams Morgan, she began dancing, initially dancing mostly modern and jazz. She talks about discovering African styles of dance...

Abstract

Yolanda Lee discusses the Fort Totten neighborhood, the Teenarama dance show, attending Catholic schools, the 1968 Riots and the teachers who had an impact on her.

Abstract

Yolanda Lee discusses the Fort Totten neighborhood, the Teenarama dance show, attending Catholic schools, the 1968 Riots and the teachers who had an impact on her.