West African Dance in the United States University Curriculum

African dance has been absent in school systems worldwide for many years. The presence of cultural dances has rarely made a mark in educational institutions. The most common forms of dance studied at the university level for credit are ballet, modern, jazz and tap. There is rarely a presence of African dance. One can independently study a variety of African dances. The question is, how can a student major and graduate from an accredited university if the courses are not offered? This research delves into the aesthetics of West African dance, discussing customs, traditions, dance forms and additional components, which bring West African culture to life. It will be useful to professionals in the dance field who seek to establish a West African dance institution anywhere around the world. This project intends to analyze the lack of traditional African dance within a variety of university systems, and incorporates an example of a West African dance catalog using the State University of New York, College of Brockport's (SUNY Brockport's) dance curriculum as a template.