CHS recently hosted a LEAF Schools and Streets Artist-in-Residence to workshop with students for a 4-day residency. David and Claude from Rwanda JR Troupe, LEAF Rwanda International introduced CHS students to the rich music and dance traditions of East Africa. Students learned the importance of Rwandan dance and drum, a tradition deeply embedded in the cultural interplay between African continuity, rhythm, and acts of positive resistance that challenged oppression. Students heard first-hand accounts of what it was like to grow up in Rwanda and in various refugee camps across Africa. Students learned traditional Rwandan dance, song, and drumming. By focusing on more than one cultural tradition, students learned about the great diversity throughout the continent of Africa.
Students performed with David and Claude at the Lake Eden Arts Festival on the main stage following the residency. This cultural exchange cultivated cross-cultural understandings and a sense of global citizenship in CHS students.
Click HERE to view more pictures of the LEAF Workshop and CHS students at LEAF!