Bantabas of Resistance and Acts of Reconsecration

Abstract This chapter highlights how, in North Carolina, danced legacies—centering African dance and music forms—articulated cultural beliefs and contributed to transforming traditions into local and global performance practices. In conversation with a multigenerational group of dancers and musicians residing in North Carolina, practitioners spoke to their experiences—reconstructing past events and bringing perspective and sensitivity to the cultural forces that shaped their lives. Black resistance, intellectual history, and a perpetual dialogue of affirmation, renewal, and re-consecration became part of a shared consciousness. These interpretations and recollections offer multiple opportunities to bring recognition to a living legacy. The chapter then looks at the concept of Bantaba, which is generally understood as a gathering of the community at a designated outdoor area, at a designated time, and for the purpose of reaching a consensus. The Bantaba and the dancing ground are entirely interrelated and synonymous as a site for ritual practice; through the dance, both major life events and the everyday occurrences are celebrated. The chapter also considers the voices of the Bantaba, including Amatullah Saleem, Hashim Salih, Ausir (George) Glenn, Doc Eleanor Gwynn, Nancy D. Pinckney, Anne and Raymond Hurrey, Sadiyah Shakur-Saleem, and Baba Chuck Davis.