Welcome to the Diasporic Encounter Method process study. This class will investigate the core principles of DEM (i.e., the African Ethos, ancestral pull, and Epic Memory) and their relationship and influence on our dancemaking and artistic evolution. Using an Africanist lens, we will explore how the dancing body reflects the ethos and lineage of those before us by nature. As dancers and choreographers, how often do we consider process as a way of sharing our familial influences while honoring the candor and insightfulness of those past and present? We will explore and celebrate Sankofa through creation, movement, and the stories held in the dancing body. We will nuance this experience by utilizing open discussions, free writing, storytelling, and deep investigation using different connectivity modes, vocalization, and expressivity to create a foundation for the ultimate authentic, rooted, choreographic experience.
