In the wake of the dance initiated, interdisciplinary, “Collaborative Conversations” trip to Ghana and in celebration of Black History Month, UCI will host a delegation from the dance department of the University of Ghana, Legon for a series of lively performances and exchanges designed to explore the interconnections between Africa and America as seen through the forms of dance, music, and critical thought. Leading the Ghana group is Professor Oh! Nii Sowah, an alumnus of UCI’s Dance MFA program and current chair of the Dance Department at the University of Ghana, Legon. Embodied knowledge, connections to the African Diaspora, and pedagogical methods are among the topics that will emerge through performance and discussions.

January 31, 2011 – February 1, 2011
UC Irvine Campus

All events are free and open to the public.

Agenda:
Monday January 31

• 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Master Dance & Drum Class led by University of Ghana‐Legon. Location: PS 1100. To reserve a space in the class please contact dance@uci.edu.
• 4:00-6:00 p.m.: Collaborative Conversations, Pedagogy, and Choreography featuring
  the work of Donald McKayle and Oh! Nii Sowah. Presentation of graduate student
  research by Afrieye Adomako, University of Ghana, Legon. Location: PS 1100
• 7:00-9:00 p.m.: Black Student Union Mixer/Step Show
  Location: Rosa Parks House, Arroyo Vista Housing Complex, UCI
   

Tuesday February 1, 2011

• 11:00 a.m.‐12:20 p.m.: Keynote Lecture: “Dance, Diaspora, and Community Resilience,” with Professor Oh! Nii Sowah, University of Ghana‐Legon. Location: Engineering Lecture Hall 100
• 12:30-2:00 p.m. Black History Month Reception. Location: 1010 Humanities Gateway
• 2:00-3:30 p.m. “West African and American Dance, Music and Improvisation‐An Exchange of Languages,” led by Sheron Wray. Location: PS 1100

Conference organizers: Jessica Millward, Assistant Professor of History; Sheron Wray,
Assistant Professor of Dance; Cecelia Lynch, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Global Peace & Conflict Studies; Lisa Naugle, Chair of Dance; Jennifer Fisher, Associate Professor of Dance; Zahra Ahmed, UCI Director of Civic and Community Engagement

Sponsored by: UCI Ghana Project 2010, History Department, Dance Department, Office
of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies,
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, International Center for Writing and
Translation, Program in African American Studies, Black Student Union, Department of
Spanish and Portuguese.

For questions and additional information, please send e‐mail
to: ucighanaproject@gmail.com. See www.cgpacs.uci.edu for schedule of events or call
UCI Dance Department at 949.824.7284.