Learning Through Observation

I took my 4 year old son Alaijah to one of the dance workshops I mentioned last post and I was so disappointed that he didn't participate in either the drumming or dancing. He has been playing music and dancing at home since he had the motor skills to do it and the the teacher had personally come up to him and encouraged him to do either or both. I couldn't figure out why he would just sit there with his mouth agape the entire time. That was until a couple nights after when he suddenly got in the mood to recreate what he had seen at the classes. It was then that I realized that he was observing and absorbing everything he saw that day.


It reminded me that we don't learn exclusively by action. Our minds can process what we see and then our bodies can execute it later on after what we have learned has really "sunken in" .


Alaijah did just that in these two clips. In one he spontaneously used shakers as drumsticks to imitate the wrist-shakers (forgot the real name for them) the drummers wear. In the next clip he demonstrates his Congolese hip movements.

Dancing with Titos Sompa of Brazzaville

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to take participate in two Congolese dance workshops taught by master Titos Sompa.

"A renown dancer, choreographer, and musician, noted especially as a master Congolese drummer, percussionist, and kalimba player, Mr. Sompa utilizes his multiple talents to make known and keep alive Congolese musical and cultural traditions that offer healing, spiritual grounding, and affirming community to the Western world. " (http://www.mbongivillage.org/)

And let me tell you did I feel the healing when I danced in his class. One thing he always mentions during class is that you should be smiling as you dance and you should love yourself.

Here's a clip of Titos and his brother Biza teaching and performing throughout the years.