Ohio University African Ensemble
The Ohio University African Ensemble (OUAE), under the direction of Zelma Badu-Younge and Paschal Yao Younge continues to expose the art of African music and dance to the untrained dancers and musicians, provide performance opportunities for Ohio University students from diverse cultural (African, Asian, European, North American, Latin American) and academic (pre-medicine, pre-law, Engineering, Communications, Theatre Arts etc.) backgrounds; and introduce music and dance majors/minors to non-western art forms. Students in the OUAE are trained through the College of Fine Arts' Dance and Music courses, which include African Dance Technique, Levels I -- III dance majors/minors and African Dance Technique, Levels I -- III non-majors (School of Dance) and African Ensemble 1 and II (School of Music). Zelma Badu-Younge founded the Ohio University African Ensemble and started the Annual African Performing Arts Concert in the 2003-2004 academic year, with 20 dancers (majors and non-dance majors), 1 graduate assistant (Agya Boakye-Boaten) as percussionist and visiting artist Paschal Yao Younge with his West Virginia University African Ensemble, who provided music (dance - drumming) for the OUAE's in addition to performing their own selections. In 2005, Paschal Younge relocated to Ohio University, Athens bringing with him his great wealth of knowledge in African music and culture. The Ohio University African Ensemble and Annual African concerts are currently co-directed by Zelma Badu-Younge and Paschal Yao Younge The Ensemble specializes in a broad spectrum of dance and musical styles ranging from work-based dances to ritualistic ones representative of East, West, Central and Southern Africa. Our repertoire includes traditional dances from: Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Togo, Nigeria, Uganda, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. In addition, the ensemble has also created new contemporary dances and instrumental works that utilize the many concepts, themes, and resources emanating from the African Diaspora. The ensemble presents an annual AZA concert at the Templeton--Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium involving diverse group of students, faculty, community youths and several guest artists. The ensemble celebrated their 10th anniversary on April 5, 2013. This video shows some of the performances of the ensemble and the Aza concerts over the years.
18 сен 2024
