A Fundamental Study about African Dance and Global Education

Abstract

The object of research is to think about producing teaching materials for African dances in aspect of the global education. The practice was conducted on 31 Oct. 2009 at Ritsumeikan Univ. against the higher grades of the elementary school as follows : 1. Explanation about African dance and society, 2．Demonstration of the motion capture system how to record digitally of African dances, 3. Showing of the research findings and digital data of African dances concerning dances as a class material, 4. Lunch of the Ghanaian food, 5. Dance and music by the Ghanaian dancers, 6. Workshop of dance and music. The practical plan divides into 3 points : (1) Developing interest in Africa, (2) Learning relations between Africa and Japan, (3) Experiencing and thinking. After the practice, I used the questionnaire to survey about the impression of this practice to pupils and made interviewed to teachers. According to the answers of pupils, they understood about the African culture and thought the similarity and difference between African and Japanese culture and according to the answers of teachers, the practice was interesting and comprehensively to them. African dance is helpful for teaching materials in aspect of the global education.