African students build confidence, connect with roots on One World Dance Team
One World Dance Team features energetic choreography that can be intimidating for new members. However, the team’s fast-paced energy is a misconception as the team always has a friendly and goofy dynamic. Courtesy of Heavenly Donkor
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When Heavenly Donkor attended the Syracuse University club fair two years ago, her goal was to find a place that would bring her into a diverse community to connect with through her love of dance and personal beliefs.
When she saw One World Dance Team was tabling, Donkor knew it was the one.
“Being part of this team means giving people like me or those of similar cultures an opportunity to express themselves,” Donkor, now One World vice president, said.
One World was founded in 2012 as a dance team that showcases different traditional African dances, ranging from Ghanaian Azonto to Nigerian Zanku. As the only African dance team at SU, One World allows dancers to use their talents to represent their heritage. On Thursday, One World is hosting Split World, an afrobeat showcase at 7 p.m. in Schine Underground.
The team does not exclusively dance African styles. They try to incorporate Caribbean or Latin dances to help their members from those places feel included, Donkor said.
Alexander Hamza, SU senior and One World graphic designer, joined One World during his sophomore year. This was his first time being on a dance team, giving him a foot in the dance world. Before being part of the team, he said he struggled with stage fright and public speaking. Now, he has gained confidence to do that without overthinking.
The team also brought a sense of community within the African community on campus, Hamza said. Hamza, who is from Connecticut, has familial ties from Ghana and Nigeria. Being in One World allows him to reconnect with his roots, he said.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find people that are within your country or where you’re from. So having One World, being able to meet three times a week and being around people that are like minded, it helps a lot,” Hamza said.
At One World, dancers connect over shared values and dance styles while also immersing in different cultures, Donkor said. Members also perform different variations of styles from all over Africa.
Donkar said that at a predominantly white institution like SU, it’s important to showcase different cultures. That is why One World encourages other dance teams to participate in their shows and for SU students to attend them, she said.
Being exposed to different forms of dance and genres of music is important to the African community, which can also be beneficial for others outside that community, Donkor said. One World allows students to learn and immerse oneself into an unfamiliar culture. But, students can also just enjoy the beautiful and entertaining performances, she said.
Donkor has done a variety of dance styles since she was in the third grade and being a part of One World allows her to build her dance skills, she said.
“As an African, dancing is a really big part of the culture, and just being a part of the team and giving other people that space to join and also express that side of their culture,” Donkor said.
Like any organization on campus, it’s important to deliver good results, especially during competitions, sophomore Mimi Yeboah Danquah said. In November, One World competed in Cuse Got Moves in a Phi Beta Sigma dance competition, facing off against other dance organizations like the hip-hop group Outlaws and Latin dance team Raíces.
Mimi said the competition was her favorite because it stood out from their typical choreography. One World performed different dance styles, like hip-hop, to taunt the other teams, she said.
“Everybody was expecting us to do the same typical thing, but we ended up doing a step,” Danquah, One World historian, said.
Joining the team does not take a professional dancer; what the team looks for are members with a prior dance technique that they can build on, Donkor said. They just make sure performances are performed well and full of energy, she said.
Their fast-paced energy is a misconception of the group’s friendly dynamic, Hamza said.
“Looking at us is sometimes intimidating, especially because a lot of the moves that we do are fast paced and look complicated but don’t be scared,” Hamza said.
At One World it’s important to be serious, but it’s also equally important to have fun, Danquah said.
“The team’s vibe is very welcoming and goofy. I could say that there is not a day that goes by where you won’t leave practice laughing,” Danquah said.
