Youth & Cultural Arts

Youth Drum & Dance Auditions

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Community Drum & Dance

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Each class will focus on a specific rhythm. 

• The Harrison Park event (Saturday, July 3 at 2 pm) features the Yanvalou rhythm.  A Haitian spirit dance of resilience and faith, Yanvalou traces its origins to Benin, West Africa. The dance, itself a fusion of multiple ethnic traditions, served to unite a similarly diverse group of people in the fight against slavery. Its spinning, undulating movements resemble waves on the ocean. 
• The El Concilio Health Day Event at Spring Valley Park (Saturday, Aug. 14 at 11am) celebrates the Dundunba rhythm. The “strong man's” rhythm and dance, Dundunba is an iconic West African celebratory rhythm to build power.
• And both the September events (2 pm Sept. 11 at a TBA location and 2 pm Sept. 25 at Harrison Park in partnership with Urban Zone) will feature the Kakilambe rhythm. Kakilambe refers both to specific percussion patterns and to a dance that’s symbolic of the celebration of life, crop growth, and the birth of children. ​

​Rootead Announces Summer 2021 Community Drum & Dance Events

Always one of Rootead’s most popular programs, Community Drum and Dance is a multigenerational, traditional West African Dance celebration, which will be held at numerous locations throughout the Greater Kalamazoo area this summer. All ages and all levels are encouraged to attend these classes, which are accompanied with live drumming, and all events are pay-what-you-can and donation-based with online registration requested here.
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“All people within the village join Community Drum and Dance whether they’re pregnant, carrying their newborns on their back, babies, infants, grandparents… It’s a really great experience for anybody to join to explore the live drumming and dancing of West African dance,” said Jay Young, Youth and Cultural Arts Director at Rootead. “There are people who usually watch and listen as well. You can be someone who watches. You can be someone who is dancing. You can be admiring the drums and the music. Everybody’s just in the space bouncing energy off one another. It’s just amazing.” 
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In addition to three classes at various community locations (July 3 will be at Harrison Park, Sept. 25 at Urban Zone, and Sept. 11 at a TBA location), Rootead is participating in El Concilio’s Health Day at Spring Valley Park on Aug. 14.

For more information or to request an interview with Rootead’s Youth and Cultural Arts Director, email jay@rootead.org or call (269) 720-9200.

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​Youth & Cultural Arts

Creating body-awareness through healing arts

Our youth programming provides experiences for pre-adulthood that contribute to healing the injustices in our community from a traditional and holistic lens. Body and self-awareness are necessary for true change and radical cultural transformation. These programs were created for youth to engage and interact with peers while also familiarizing and healing their bodies. We focus on African roots and culture through drum and dance, mindfulness, social-emotional learning, indigenous history and community support. 

We also facilitate programming for families, and intergenerational spaces. Using healing arts, we create cross cultural, emotional and intersectional experiences. ​

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​​Rootead Youth Dance Company (RYDC)

In 2016, Rootead embarked on a journey to develop a youth dance company that would reflect the unique and rich cultural traditions within the spectrum of the black experience and beyond. The dance company is composed of members from eighth grade through senior level of high school from very diverse backgrounds. 

RYDC members learn movement of the West African diaspora, Hip-Hop, and Modern/Contemporary dance. Members develop essential skills such as; empathy, leadership, consistent work ethic, social/emotional development, critical thinking, listening, teamwork, effective communication, problem-solving, and mental flexibility.

While using dance as a vehicle of healing and self-confidence, RYDC prioritizes artistic excellence, discipline, leadership and co-creation. Previous participants are now pursuing higher education, birth work, and/or dance.

Lil Roots

Lil Roots has a very similar structure to RYDC.
They meet twice a week for an hour and learn African dances, rhythms, songs, and history. The goal of this program is to hold space for the 8-12 year old youth who are consistent and dedicated to Rootead’s teachings. ​​

Rootead in Family

This program was held during December 2020 and was a space for Rootead families to connect, bond, and socialize with one another virtually. Also, to get the family to engage with one another in fun activities together in a safe environment since quarantine is in place. It included:

• Pre-recorded content: storytelling, dance, yoga/meditation
• Virtual Community Drum & Dance
• Activity Box

Info coming soon!

Jay Young
Prophet of Programming 
arts@rootead.org
​RC PROFILE

Jay Young is a professional dancer trained in Commercial Jazz, Hip Hop, Heels, Afro Pop, and Traditional West African Dance. She is also a Beauty Consultant and Model. She trained in dance at New York’s Broadway Dance Center, Wellspring Dance Academy, and Rootead Enrichment Center. After earning her B.A. in Business at Kalamazoo College, Jay Young stayed in Kalamazoo where she now resides in. She is the Prophet of Program at Rootead, a well-known healing arts nonprofit. She designs low costing art programs for BIPOC youth and families in Kalamazoo. She is an Academy Instructor at Wellspring Dance Academy where she teaches Afro Fusion, a mix of Afro Pop and Traditional West African Dance. She is a well versed local freelance dancer, making appearances at iDance Fearless Productions and Heels Finesse. She is always learning new styles and developing her technique in dance. She aims to continue building relationships with other choreographers, instructors, dancers, and studios that are energetic and lively. ​​

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