2025 Theses Doctoral

Ubuntu-Informed Culturally Relevant Dance Instruction: (Re)membering the Unique Pedagogical Strategies of Baba Chuck Davis

Dye, Patricia A. K.

This dissertation explored the intersection of three tenets of Ubuntu and the three criteria of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP)—student learning, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness—embedded in Dr. Charles Randolph Davis’s DanceAfrica dance pedagogy. Dr. Davis, also known as Baba Chuck (“Baba” being an affectionate term meaning father), has profoundly influenced the growth and development of both the Afro-Diasporic dance community and the dance community on the African continent. By analyzing Baba Chuck’s pedagogy through archival data, this dissertation sought to understand how he interpreted CRP and Ubuntu to foster self-identity, cooperation, and community-building.

Ubuntu serves as a framework for dance educators, providing a method to encourage self-identity, cultivate cooperation, and build community in their classrooms. Baba Chuck’s pedagogical approach, deeply rooted in CRP and Ubuntu, emphasizes individual growth as an integral part of community development. His methods align with the three core criteria of CRP: student learning, by using dance as a tool for academic and artistic excellence; cultural competence, by fostering pride in African and Afro-American diasporic identities through dance traditions; and sociopolitical consciousness, by using movement and storytelling to engage students in critical discussions about history, identity, and social justice.

Community-building has been central to the survival of Afro-diasporic people, primarily expressed through the ‘love’ of celebrating existence. Dr. Davis was a pioneering researcher in Afro-Diasporic dance who educated the public on African cultural dances and demonstrated an unwavering love for the African diaspora identity. He employed Ubuntu’s structure to teach communities about the legacy and heritage of the African continent and the African diaspora. Through this approach, he engaged, motivated, and educated youth, connecting them to their ancestry and fostering a deep appreciation for their culture. His teachings incorporated communal rituals and symbolism, reflecting customs and ideas generated by the African diaspora community. Moreover, he developed a unique teaching style that gave voice to the African American experience, fusing African and European concepts into a new artistic expression.

This qualitative research investigated how Baba Chuck’s teachings can enhance self-identity through CRP and strengthen a sense of belonging through community-building, as reflected in Ubuntu principles. Employing an ethno-historical approach within the framework of Endarkened Feminist Epistemology and Cynthia Dillard’s concept of (Re)membering, this study documented and codified instances of Ubuntu’s three tenets in Baba Chuck’s teaching. These findings provide an additional resource for dance educators, positioning Baba Chuck’s methods within the CRP paradigm as articulated by Ladson-Billings, who is a pioneer in CRP scholarship.

After I reviewed the selected DanceAfrica artifacts chosen for this study, I confirmed that Baba Chuck used the intersection of CRP and Ubuntu in his teaching as well as in his organizational methodology for DanceAfrica, the African American, and African Diaspora communities.