‘You can feel the ancestors’: Ezibu Muntu uses ‘pride, strength and love’ to share West African culture

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- 8News is honoring Black History Month this February and reporter Sierra Krug took us center stage to meet the dancers with Virginia's premiere West African dance group — Ezibu Muntu.

Setting foot into their practice space at A New You Wellness Center, the Ezibu Muntu dancers welcome strangers with open arms.

8News asked Artistic Director Mayah Walker-Taylor to describe the dance group in three words.

"Pride, strength and love," Walker-Taylor replied with a smile.

All of those values are woven into 51 years of "Ezibu Muntu," which means "universal family" in the Yoruba language.

"We do West African dances and I feel connected to my roots, my African ancestral roots," Executive Director LaShara Smith-Scott said when asked about the feeling behind her performances.

Virginia's premiere West African dance group was founded on Virginia Commonwealth University's campus in 1973 by a woman named Tanya Dennis. Its legacy has transcended time. Flash forward to 2005, Smith-Scott went looking for a dance group to join when she moved to Richmond. Instead, the now-leader found a family.

"You can feel the ancestors with you when you're dancing the dance," Smith-Scott said with a twinkle in her eyes. "When you're really in the groove."

Some of the dancers are experiencing dance for the first time. However, Smith-Scott has danced her whole life. She's worked with major companies on a national scale and fostered that passion from the very beginning.

Walker-Taylor said she also first felt that groove in the womb.

"From birth to now, dance is really all I know," Walker-Taylor said. "It is my passion. I see it as my prayer, how I heal and reset. Oh, it is a way for me to just connect -- not just within my community -- but to my peers to teach, to use. It's all I know."

Part of the team's core mission is to educate, so they made sure to teach our 8News crew -- not just about the beauty of African culture — but a few moves along the way, so try to keep up!

"Everyone brings a fresh perspective with their experiences," LaShara Smith-Scott said. "Our classes are not just African American. Our classes are made up of the community."

Every dance has a meaning and each movement shares a message. One of Mayah's favorite styles is "Sabar dance," which originated in Senegal.

"Sabar dance requires the dancer to be confident," Walker-Taylor said. "It also represents the woman's body, so it can be very powerful, but graceful at the same time."

Dancers learn "village style," which means the youngest generally stand up front, but the potential is boundless. Performers express themselves across the stage moving in ways that feel best. It takes hard work and dedication, but it's not about all dancing the same. Each performer brings pieces of themselves and their own experiences to their art to create a beautiful melting pot of culture, love and family.

"It's so important … you mentioned young girls, it's so important that young girls are aware of their history or what they where they come from or where their ancestors come from," Walker-Taylor reflected. "It is heartwarming. It's heartwarming. It brings me to tears sometimes."

Ezibu Muntu's next public performance is on Feb. 15. If you are interested in getting involved with the group, the dancers hold a community class on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at A New You Wellness Center, which is located at 1606 Ownby Lane in Richmond.

For more information visit the Ebizu Muntu website.