Erica Gamester - Social Dancing

Watch: https://www.ted.com/talks/camille_a_brown_a_visual_history_of_social_dance_in_25_moves

This TED Talk consecutively played after writing my last blog post about Khmer classical dance. While the subject of dance is shared, these are TED Talks discussed two completely types of movements. This video depicts the art of social dancing amongst the African American community. Many of us “millennials” can identify these moves, such as the whip or the “nae nae.” These social dances are unique in a sense that there is a lack of strict choreography, but rather an agreed set of moves with a twist of individuality from the dancer.

As previously discussed, Khmer dancers persevered through widespread oppression and poverty at the hands of the Cambodian government. Similarly, social dances emerged amongst enslaved African American communities. While the moves and rhythms have evolved over time, it was a medium of remembering the roots of their African culture and an escape from their current surroundings. Lecturer Camille A. Brown states that dance was a tool that keeps “cultural traditions alive, and retaining a sense of inner freedom under captivity” (@2:01 in the video).

African American social dancers speak a common language that can be popularized and appropriated beyond their intended communities, as seen with “the Twist” in the 1960s that originated from slaves from the Congo. The overwhelming intended purpose of these social dances is to draw people together in order to embrace their individuality they bring to the dance floor, symbolizing liberation and freedom.