On several occasions I have been asked: “Why do you want to continue dancing quadrille, a European dance, that is so strongly associated with the inhumane treatment, humiliation and pain that our ancestors’ endured during slavery, under colonial rule?”

For someone who asserts cultural awareness, I should not be surprised by this morally complex and culturally sensitive question, because it is one that I have also considered many times, when I first started quadrille dancing for public entertainment. Nevertheless, each time I am asked, I become consumed with strong negative emotions, because this question, with the subtle suggestion of cultural betrayal, poses an ethical threat to my representation. To be perceived as a “cultural sell out” because I dance Quadrille is a heart-rending fallacy.

To sensitively acknowledge and respond positively to the question, I embarked on a process of deep reflection, during which I extensively examined, questioned, debated, and analysed the impact of the Trans–Atlantic Slave Trade.

I re-affirmed the truth that my ancestors did endure inhumane treatment, brutality, humiliation and pain during slavery.

I made a conscious decision to refrain from constantly dwelling on the negative aspects of my ancestors’ lives. 

Continuance with the negative narrative had the power to paralyse me into apathy, anger, blame, hatred and an unforgiving attitude, that has the potential to permanently affect my mental health, destroy my soul and prevent me from enjoying my favourite past-time activity – the quadrille dance.

So with an open, gracious and compassionate mind-set, I purposefully focused on the positive and spiritual elements of my ancestors’ experiences that are triumphant, uplifting, encouraging, and awe- inspiring, thus worthy of praise. 

For example, their dignity; inner strength; wisdom; bravery; tolerance; patience; endurance; community spirit; determination to survive enslavement. 

With pride and admiration, I recall how our ancestors defiantly danced the quadrille to keep their spirits high, to support each other in their quest to maintain human dignity and to overcome the pain and suffering of slavery. They instinctively knew of the therapeutic value of music and dance. Their passionate love of music, singing and dancing are innately powerful and persuasive resource. Their creative adaptations to the European quadrille dance are ingenuous. 

These positive ancestral attributes have awakened a stronger spiritual connection to my roots and culture. With this deeper awareness, I chose to represent the positive and non-violent legacy of my ancestors’ achievements through the quadrille dance.

In response to the morally charged and culturally sensitive question, i.e. “Why do you want to continue dancing the quadrille? 

I would state in a light-hearted and positive way that: 

“Our African ancestors’ had a passionate love of music and dance and appreciated its therapeutic value. Dancing was their shared medium of communication. Having been forbidden to dance their African dances, the European quadrille was the only style of dancing openly available to them. 

They grasped the opportunity to dance it, master it, transform it and regularly danced “their style of quadrille” during and after the abolition of slavery. 

I do believe it was socially and spiritually uplifting for them, as it is for me.  I am proud of my ancestors’ achievements and want to honour their legacy by educating our multicultural society about the positive as well as negative experiences of enslavement, and most importantly, their humanity, resourcefulness, resilience and dignity.

I want to demonstrate their passionate love of music and dance and celebrate their triumph over oppression.”