African-American dance is a form of dance that was created by Africans in the Diaspora, specifically the United States. It has developed within various spaces throughout African-American communities i
Blues dance at a juke joint, early 20th century.
Ballet rehearsal at the Dance Theater of Harlem, 24 July 1971
Hip hop street dancing, aka break dancing, in San Francisco.
The ring shout is a distinctive African American ritual dance originating with enslaved Africans in the southern United States where worshippers move in a counterclockwise circle while hand-clapping,
The 18th-century painting The Old Plantation depicts several examples of Africanisms brought to the Carolinas, including musical instruments, headdresses, dance steps, conjure stick, and spiritual traditions.
(Freedmen's school, Edisto Island, S.C.) Northern teachers documented the ring shout practiced by their students and local Gullah Geechee residents.
Gullah Geechee people performing traditional song and dance during a special event at Fort Pulaski National Monument.
During slavery and after emancipation, ring shouts were practiced in praise houses.