KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Students from Blythewood High School's West African Drum and Dance Ensemble performed for the students at Jackson School in Kershaw County at the district's Black History Month celebration.
"One of the things we teach at an early level is that the music in Africa had an influence on all the music that we listen to on the radio, that we sing," Jackson School Music Teacher Mary Kathryn Burbank said. "So, it's very important for them to see the beginnings of that."
Burbank says her students have been spending the past few months studying the instruments that would be played on this big day.
"From all different backgrounds at school, they are not necessarily musicians or dancers, they are kids that are interested in learning about the culture," said Blythewood High School Associate Director of Bands Jonathan Burbank. "They see the energy they perform with."
During the performance, Burbank said they performed dances from Guinea and Uganda. The goal is to teach students the social dances of West Africa.
Students from the Jackson School also had a smaller performance and were allowed to come up and learn the dances at the end.