This course will focus on two or more dance and percussion forms from Africa and the African diaspora such as Manjani (Mali and Guinea), Gum Boots (South Africa) and Samba (Brazil). All students will learn the fundamentals of dance and percussion techniques that provide the skills for learning these forms. This course may be taken for academic and/or PE credit. Students enrolled for academic credit are required to attend two dance/percussion technique classes weekly, attend a third meeting for lectures and discussion of reading or media that provide context for the impact of these forms, keep a journal that documents learning , write a critique of a relevant concert or documentary film, take a bi-weekly physical or written quiz to assess leaming, prepare and present a final project based on course content that demonstrates understanding of technique and the ability to use the forms to create a dance or music composition and submit a short research paper that supports the final project Students enrolled for PE credit are required to attend two dance/percussion technique classes weekly, take a bi-weekly physical or written quiz to assess learning, attend a relevant concert or documentary film during the semester, and prepare and present a final study using dance or percussion that demonstrates understanding of technique and the ability to use the forms in a composition.