One of the most meaningful parts of my experience at the Teranga Conference was attending lectures that challenged me to think more deeply about dance—not only as an art form, but as a way of preserving culture, history, and identity. Two presentations in particular left a lasting impression on me.
The classroom is a sanctuary or it is a site of assimilation. It cannot be both.
Allan Rocero Gitanes: Dance Education as Cultural Preservation
I attended a lecture by dance educator and scholar Allan Rocero Gitanes, whose work explores the intersection of dance, culture, and education. Drawing from Horton and Dunham techniques, Gitanes discussed the importance of lineage, institutional context, and decolonizing pedagogy in dance education.
Rather than focusing solely on movement technique, he encouraged us to consider how cultural knowledge is embodied and passed from one generation to the next through dance. One question that stayed with me throughout the day was: "How do we teach students to carry culture in their bodies?"
This idea resonated deeply with my own fellowship research on Afro-Cuban dance and cultural preservation. Gitanes emphasized that dance education is not simply about teaching steps—it is about safeguarding histories, identities, and ways of knowing. One of his most powerful statements was: "The classroom is a sanctuary or it is a site of assimilation. It cannot be both."
His lecture challenged me to think about the responsibility educators have in creating spaces where cultural traditions can be honored rather than erased.
Careitha Davis: Honoring History, Ancestors, and Cultural Memory
I also attended a lecture by Careitha Davis, whose work centers on the cultural, historical, and spiritual foundations of dance pedagogy and choreography.
She began by showing six photographs of influential women in dance history and asking us to identify them, emphasizing the importance of recognizing those whose contributions have shaped the field. Through discussions of pioneers such as Katherine Dunham and Afro-Caribbean dance traditions, Davis explored the historical, political, and spiritual meanings embedded within movement, music, ritual, and performance.
One example that stood out was a performance in which a dancer's flowing skirt symbolized resistance to sociopolitical oppression, demonstrating how costumes can communicate meaning just as powerfully as movement itself.
Davis also contrasted European performance customs with Afro-diasporic traditions. She explained that gestures such as bowing can serve not only as acknowledgments of an audience but also as acts of remembrance and gratitude toward ancestors. In many Afro-diasporic traditions, dancers lower their heads before looking upward, symbolically honoring those who came before them.
One of my most meaningful takeaways was the idea that dance cannot be separated from its cultural context. Davis encouraged us to look beyond choreography and technique by recognizing the histories, educators, and communities that shape movement practices. She explained that dance extends far beyond the final performance. Even after leaving the stage, dancers continue honoring their ancestors and elders as they remove costumes and makeup, recognizing themselves as living extensions of those who came before them.
Her lecture reinforced that every aspect of dance—from movement and music to costumes, ritual, and performance traditions—has the potential to preserve history, express identity, and carry cultural memory across generations.
Reflection
Together, these two lectures expanded my understanding of dance as a form of cultural transmission. Both speakers emphasized that movement is never just movement; it carries stories, values, histories, and identities. As I continue my fellowship research on the preservation and adaptation of Afro-Cuban dance in the United States, I am beginning to see more clearly how dance functions as a living archive—one that allows culture to be remembered, embodied, and shared across generations.