Thursday, August 16, 2007
Khalid El-Hassan sat on the steps in front of Wescoe Hall Wednesday afternoon as the Kansas University Drumming and Dancing Ensemble began to play.
A crowd assembled to dance to the beat of amatuer african drum group KUADDE on Wednesday afternoon. The group performed a free concert, inviting on lookers to dance along.
His foot started to tap and then he started to sway back and forth. He stood and started to shuffle in a fluid motion to the beat. As the drums intensified, El-Hassan began turning in small circles, his feet hitting the ground in unison with each pound of the drums.
He turned to the small crowd that had gathered at the drum circle to invite the audience to join in the dance. Several people took him up on the offer and soon the whole crowd was involved. The people who remained seated or standing were tapping their feet, and one man was shaking a cup of ice to the rhythm of the song.
KUADDE formed last spring to promote Africa’s talent and culture, and to interest students in learning more about Africa.
The free concert was put together to kick off the fall semester for the Kansas African Studies Center. El-Hassan, associate director of the center, helped organize the event to announce the center’s activities and to promote the program. He said that Africans have a saying about drumming.
“If you can walk, you can dance, and if you can talk, then you can sing. But, drumming you have to learn,” El-Hassan said.
KUADDE has been practicing together all summer to prepare for upcoming events this semester. El-Hassan said KUADDE promotes diversity on campus. The group itself has a diverse make-up: some are graduate students, some are undergraduates, some are non-traditional students with grown children, some are from Africa and some are from Kansas.
Karimi Kanga, Nairobi, Kenya, senior, dances with the group. She said KUADDE gives her a sense of community and belonging.
“Coming as an international student is a major culture shock,” Kanga said. “The dancing gives you something from Africa you need so much. It’s a group that just brings us together.”
The free concert will continue from noon to 1 p.m. today on Wescoe Beach. KUADDE will also collaborate with the Spencer Museum of Art for a tailgating party on September 15. More information about the group can be found at www.kasc.ku.edu.
— Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
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