BETHLEHEM, Pa. — After the crowd learned the Gwara Gwara, a popular South African dance, they freestyled in a circle, each taking a turn flaunting signature knee twists and arm movements.
Smiles and laughter erupted as the group, of all ages and backgrounds, cheered and clapped for one another.
In the middle of the circle, a woman swayed her hips and kicked her feet up as she waved the Liberian flag, a symbol of freedom for the West African country.
For dance instructors Chelsea Onouha and Shyanne Francis, of Afro Dance LV, it was indeed a joyful day, even in the sweltering heat, as they taught popular moves from Ghana, Liberia. Nigeria, and South Africa.
After all, as Onouha poignantly said after the class, dance is known to be a universal language.
"I think it's very nice to be able to share what I've learned about African dance with other people and then be able to see how confident they become at the end," Francis said.
"Afterwards, they're not afraid to go in the circle and do the moves."
The duo, who teach Afro dance classes on Fridays at Allentown's Caring Youth Center, took part in Afro Beats Production Live, a cultural spread that featured entertainment, fashion, and food from West Africa and the Caribbean.
The inaugural celebration was held Saturday, June 28, at the Wooden Match in Bethlehem.
'Always had the culture in me'
Afro Beats Productions consists of a group of entertainers, media professionals and performers from the Lehigh Valley.
Together, the group has performed at Musikfest for the past three years and wanted to hold a bigger gathering to showcase their African and Caribbean heritage.
"I was born in Liberia, West Africa, and came here in 2004,'' Romeo Gaye, of Afro Beats Productions, said. "I've always had the culture in me.
"Every time I wanted to listen to African music at a club or concert, I had to travel to Philly, so I got together with some of my friends and decided to organize something like this here in the Lehigh Valley."
Gaye, who is also a DJ, said he has noticed an increase in popularity in Afrobeats, a style of music and dance that has risen to popularity in the 2010s thanks to the global success of African artists such as Davido, Rema, Fireboy DML and Tiwa Savage.
"I've been deejaying at weddings and noticed that people are coming up asking if I can play this Afrobeat song for them," Gaye said.
"It's cool to see how far the music has come, and we want to be the ones to showcase it and show it off to people because it's in our blood."
Platform for African artists
In total, the festival featured music and sets with nine DJs and musical performances by African musicians Kaye Omega, Angel Dweh, Symalia and Byro Mwas.
"I'm happy we're able to give artists a platform for them to showcase their talent," Gaye said.
"Dancers can dance anywhere, performers can record their music, but if they have a platform to do that and a space where they feel welcome, that means so much more.
"I'm proud today, especially because of how Afrobeats is celebrated now."
