Young, Gifted, and Black: A Phenomenological Study of Black Youth Engagement in 21st Century Social Dances

This study examines the tradition of black social dance in the USA and the impact of youth engagement in 21st century social dances. The researcher interrogates the impact of participation in Bucking and Liturgical dance on black individuals and communities. It was hypothesized that Bucking and Liturgical dance retain traditions of the African aesthetic which act as ritual contributing to individual and collective uplift. Recorded video performances were analyzed using Kariamu Welsh's Umfundalai theory and participant interviews were analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The researcher found that Africanisms such as polycentrism, polyrhythms, total body articulation, coalescence of dance, and curvilinear qualities were present in the recorded dance performances. Additionally, the participant interviews revealed similar themes in individual and collective impacts of engaging in Bucking and Liturgical dance. Similarly, the participants addressed common stigmas that pose challenges to engagement in the dances. The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that participation in Bucking, Liturgical, and present-day social dances have positive outcomes for youth and serve as potential spaces of initiation. However, the findings also imply a need for less stigmatization of the dance styles in order to promote transformative experiences for the dancers