Last Saturday night’s CFAC provided a change of pace for the venue as well asa fresh rhythm. Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago gave a rousing performance of traditional African and African-American dance, call-and-response singing and drumming that literally brought the audience to its feet.

In the Bantu language, “muntu” means “the essence of humanity.” For Muntu Dance Theater, that essence is found in an ongoing effort of conversation. Broadly construed, this conversation—including not only the auditory but also the physical, kinetic, visual, spiritual and historical dimensions of call-and-response dialogue between peoples—is at the center of the work of the Muntu Dance Company.

The group, which has existed as a performance and educational group in various forms since 1972, practices an “authentic and progressive interpretation of contemporary and ancient African and African-American dance, music and folklore” (South Suburban College). This work has been conversational from the outset, continually navigating the boundaries between ancient and contemporary performance styles, as well as those originating from different cultures. While upholding a high regard for artistic innovation, Muntu also keeps the historical dimension of their creative, human dialogue alive by maintaining an equivalent regard for ancient-African performance forms and techniques. They have allowed the old and the young to talk to each other, to coalesce in a balanced historical conversation between tradition and progression, all in the form of gorgeous movement and music.

On Saturday, the Calvin community was invited to join in the conversation with Muntu Dance Theater in multiple ways. In the afternoon, a workshop was held for dance students where members of the company provided training in the methods of traditional African and African-American dance.

During the evening performance, the audience also received the invitation to actively participate, mostly by means of clapping along to the music and offering applause. However, audience participation did not cut off there. As a finale, members of the company invited several-dozen audience members onstage, taught them a few basic dance moves and had them perform for the rest of the audience before opening the stage for a dance-off. The standing ovation which followed exhibited the air of fun and gratitude that Muntu’s performance and interactions with the audience cultivated.

The two-part event, which was an interdepartmental effort by Dance Guild, the Dance Minor, MSDO and SAO, was free to students and offered a truly unique opportunity for cross-cultural engagement and busting some moves on the big stage.