Repost @nytimes: Drumfolk

Repost @nytimes

“They took the drums away!” the dancers of “Drumfolk” chant from the stage of the @NewVictoryTheater, where @StepAfrika performs through March 15. The Washington-based company, formed by C. Brian Williams (@safounder) specializes in stepping, a percussive dance form that uses the body as an instrument. Inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739 that led to the Negro Act of 1740, which restricted enslaved people’s use of drums, “Drumfolk” delves into the development of stepping alongside traditions like ring shout and tap. This section focuses on “different body percussive traditions,” Brian said. “We have the tambourine, we have the stamping stick, and we have the body.” In this 90-minute work, Step Afrika! expands its possibilities. “We’re using step as part of a narrative and really exploring the form and the movement as a practice,” Brian told the #nytimes dance critic @giadk. “There’s precision, and it’s not just the feet. The voice and all parts of the body are engaged. There are so many different ways to play with it.” @mosadek made this video for #SpeakingInDance, our weekly series exploring the world of #dance.