James Island Arts will present a special program on ring shouts and praise houses at McLeod Plantation Historic Site on April 28, 2018. Ring shouts and praise houses are two examples of the rich cultural traditions found in the Americas western Atlantic basin and rooted in the West African cultures of people captured and sold into slavery. SC Humanities supported this program with a Mini Grant.
Students from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte will perform a dance inspired by three types of dances from the Africa diaspora: Palo, an Afro-Cuban warrior dance; Trinidadian circle dances; and Gullah Geechee Ring Shouts. This performance will be held outdoors on the grounds of McLeod Plantation Historic Site, a location important to Gullah Geechee history and culture on James Island. Ron Daise, Gullah Geechee cultural preservationist and educator, will lead the audience in a discussion that places ring shouts and praise houses into their context within Gullah Geechee culture.
The event is scheduled for April 28, 2018 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. at McLeod Plantation Historic Site. It is free to Charleston County Park Pass holders and free with admission to all other visitors to the site.
For more information, contact James Island Arts at 843-795-4141.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.
Photo Credit: Jeff Cravotta
