Standing on the Shoulders of Black Dance Educators

Abstract This chapter presents two Black dance pedagogues: Ruth Beckford and Kariamu Welsh. Of great significance, both pedagogues intuited the importance and value of culturally informed, kinship-based teaching methods in real time. Beckford and Welsh were culturally sustaining teachers because they understood the value of teaching while preserving cultural traditions and building the esteem of students, particularly affirming Black students and Black culture within a society that oppresses Black people. In learning about how these two pedagogues taught, one can all learn how to position culture, tradition, and knowledge as teaching tools. Indeed, the work of these women transcended culturally relevant and culturally sustaining ideology in their wisdom to create a village and family of movers, resulting in what can be described as kinship pedagogy.