EDUCATION IN MOTION: AFRO DANCE AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST RACISM

Abstract

In this expanded summary, we share our experience in university extension in the high backlands of Alagoas, as scholarship holders/dancers of the Cultural Equipment of the Federal University of Alagoas, Grupo de Cultura Negra Abí Axé Egbé, founded in 2013, with the objectives of demonstrating how Afro dance acts as a pedagogical space of resistance to racism, especially religious racism; of demystifying discriminatory stereotypes; and of promoting a transformative dialogue through art. We begin with a theoretical analysis, addressing concepts such as academic extension (Paulo, 2013), racism (Almeida, 2019) and religious racism (Nogueira, 2019), in addition to presenting the Abí Axé Egbé group (Gomes; Santos, 2019). We then explore how Afro dance establishes itself as a pedagogical expression in confronting racism, integrating multiple languages ​​and knowledge. We also discussed some Afro dance steps, the representation of the orishas in shows and their importance in the construction of identity and black culture.