ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 examines dance and the social effects of colonialism in Africa. The chapter discusses the dance renaissance that occurred in West Africa once independence was achieved through African agency. It highlights the fact that new African leaders turned to dance as a device for advancing African identity, lifting self-esteem, creating nationalistic sentiments, teaching “accurate” African history – as opposed to colonized history – and preserving culture. In Chapter 7, attention is placed on the African dance ballet in Mandinka dance systems and its position during the era directly after independence in Guinea specifically, and Senegambia generally. Thus, Chapter 7 examines how the Guinean dance company, Les Ballets Africains, was utilized by Guinea’s first president, Sékou Touré, to decolonize African culture.
