The Ghana Dance Ensemble in Perspective

Abstract

With the aim of preserving traditional music and dance through contemporary, theatrical and creative presentation, the Ghana Dance Ensemble in 1962 was initiated as an experiment between Ghana’s educational and governmental systems. This paper is a historical account of the Ghana Dance Ensemble from the perspective of an ‘insider’ and historicity. The paper chronicles the evolution, successes, challenges and the role of the Ghana Dance Ensemble in Dance Education in Ghana. It also discusses the relationship that existed between the Ghana Theatre Movement and the Ghana Dance Ensemble in the realization of cultural consciousness in Ghana. The paper is more of a reflective study by someone who has been with the Ghana Dance Ensemble for over thirty years as a practitioner and a researcher.

Key words: Ghana Dance Ensemble, Ghana Dance Company, University of Ghana, traditional dances, choreography.

DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/63-05

Publication date: January 31^st 2021