Staging Ghana : artistry and nationalism in state dance ensembles /

Schauert's ethnographic overview of state dance ensembles in Ghana is based on fieldwork and collaborative artistic productions. A musician himself, Schauert (Detroit Institute of Music Education; Oakland Univ., Michigan) presents first-person narratives of creative experiments alongside excellent historical overviews of music and dance in intertwined performances of the Ghana Dance Ensemble (based at the Univ. of Ghana, Legon) and the National Dance Company of Ghana. Schauert points to an excellent online archive of materials created as research evidence; these outstanding videos predict multi-platform digital possibilities for area studies. Though too long, the literature review demonstrates appreciation of cultural studies methodologies. In the introduction, Schauert writes that he explores "how artists in Ghana's state dance ensembles 'manage' nationalism," using fine descriptions of dance rehearsals, interpersonal company politics, hiring and labor practices, and public performances. He also provides strong analyses of "African personality" and Pan-Africanism--as extolled by Kwame Nkrumah--that emphasize cultural nationalism and the importance of the arts in building a strong, unified nation. Describing "a dancing archive of Ghana's heritage," Schauert successfully renders competing motives of famous directors Albert Mawere Opuku and Francis Nii-Yartey to suggest a "phenomenology of nationalism and its performance." This reviewer would have welcomed an appendix of company members, repertory, or performance itineraries. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. --Thomas F. DeFrantz, Duke University