Catching the tail end of summer 2025, I’ve set off on yet another journey. But this time, it’s more than just a solo adventure—it’s a mission. In the beginning of summer, I touched down in Morocco; just two months later, I’ve returned to the African continent, heading south of the Sahara to the Gold Coast: Ghana. By immersing myself in Ghana, I hope to uncover how Ghanaian dance and culture impact education, and help local dancers share their stories with the world, while rediscovering myself in the process. I’m exploring dance as a form of embodied literacy—a vessel for expression, communication, cultural practices, and resilience, specifically within the shared and contrasting contexts of Africa and Asia.
My journey through Ghana was more than a research trip; it was an immersion into dance as a living, embodied literacy. In the heart of the community, I observed dance classes that were masterclasses in both skill and spirit. These children in class weren’t just talented, but they were focused, consistent, and vibrantly their true selves. Most striking was the communal support system: a high-energy ecosystem where dancers hype each other up, collaborate and support each other on digital content. For them, social media is a modern way to write and read their own narratives, inspiring a standard of excellence that resonates globally.
The research became a space of transactional learning during my interview. I wasn't just collecting data; we were co-creating. A full-circle moment occurred when I interviewed Afrodrone, the creator of the "Gordor" move. Having first learned the step in NYC, meeting the source in Ghana solidified my role as a bridge, someone who grows with the community and helps share their story with the globe.
However, the beauty of the movement is deeply rooted in a complex history. Visiting the slave castles reminded me of the “genetic memory” carried by these dancers. While their ancestors were oppressed, dance became a way to speak up when voices were silenced. I saw how everyday labor and culture such as fishing, boxing, washing, carrying loads on their heads, and even food, is distilled into choreography. This resilience is the foundation of the Pan-Africanism I encountered at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum. These sites illustrate how people are united by embodied space which could be empowered by dance. Today, the world recognizes Afro-fusion not just as a dance style, but as a modern expression of Pan-African unity. The mission of the Encyclopedia Africana shows strong intention to reclaim and assert African agency in knowledge production and historical record and inspires me to view dance as a profound social, political, and philosophical record.
Fieldwork, of course, brought its own reality checks. Navigating distances and accessibility, scheduling misalignments, and dancers’ lack of motivation required me to remain flexible. Facing these uncertainties was a lesson, teaching me to adapt and prepare for the organic, often unpredictable rhythm of local life.
This experience redefined education for me as culturally relevant, community-based, an aesthetic experience, and a model of radical vulnerability, challenging the traditional one-system-fits-all model. Being with the community inspires me to leverage my unique position as a Chinese practitioner in NYC and China to bridge these communities with Africa while investigating the profound implications of engaging with movement outside one’s own cultural heritage.