The Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University hosted its inaugural Global Roots of Appalachian Mountain Dance Symposium March 31–April 2, 2022. The free, three-day event brought campus and community together to celebrate the diverse global traditions that shape Appalachian dance.
Participants enjoyed an array of performances, workshops, film screenings, lecture demonstrations, jams, and social dances, with activities taking place on campus, at Boone’s Jones House, and the Florence Thomas Art School in West Jefferson. Traditions highlighted included West African, Afro-Caribbean, Cherokee, Irish, and Appalachian dance forms, including flatfooting, buckdancing, and tap.
The symposium featured internationally renowned presenters and performers such as the Raven Rock Dancers of Cherokee, dance scholar Thomas F. DeFrantz, Appalachian dance historian Phil Jamison, Watauga County flatfooter John Turner, the Green Grass Cloggers of Asheville, West African dancer Sherone Price, and artist-in-residence Khalid Saleem on African drums.
Highlights included a keynote panel on the historical roots of mountain dance, an evening performance showcasing multiple dance styles, and a lively round robin social dance blending Afro-Caribbean, céilí, and square dance traditions.
The event was made possible with support from the North Carolina Humanities Council, the North Carolina Arts Council, App State’s College of Arts and Sciences, and numerous local music and dance partners.