Students of various primary schools of the Corporate Area do the Gully Creepa after they were informed by L'Antoinette Stines, an artistic director, that the popular move was derived from a traditional folk form. The children were participating in GraceKennedy's 'Celebrating Our African Heritage' that was held to commemorate Heritage Week at the Institute of Jamaica in downtown Kingston yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Acting Photography Editor

More than 200 students were yesterday given an insight into African culture through music, dance and storytelling when they took part in a Heritage Week function in downtown Kingston.

The function, hosted by GraceKennedy Limited, was held at the Institute of Jamaica on East Street.

Under the theme 'Celebrating Our African Heritage', cultural icons L'Antoinette Stines and Amina Blackwood-Meeks excited the children with dance and storytelling, respectively.

Blackwood-Meeks told the students a story of 'The Great Spirit', opening the narrative saying "crick crack" and closing it with "Jack Mandora, me no choose none", evoking laughter from the children.

The highlight of the function for the children was arguably when Stines and her team from L'Acadco dance company took the stage.

Taught basic dance moves

The children were taught the basic dance moves of Kumina, Dinki Mini, Gerreh, Bruckins and a Rastafarian chant.

Stines did current popular dancehall moves such as Nuh Linga and Gully Creepa, showing the students how the primary moves of the dances have their origins in traditional folk forms.

The Gully Creepa, Stines told the students, was a variation of Yanvaloo, an African dance created decades ago by Madame Lavinia Williams.

"Don't be afraid to dance, it's part of our heritage," said Stines.

Professor Waibinte Wariboko, senior lecturer in the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of the West Indies, Mona, told the students that it was unavoidable to have similarities between Jamaican and West African cultures. This is so, as people were taken from that part of Africa and brought to Jamaica.

"We can identify with areas of similarities in our religion, music, dance, instruments and food," said Wariboko.

He said: "Jonkunno that you the children love is a large cultural phenomenon in various parts of West Africa."

Douglas Orane, chairman and chief executive officer of GraceKennedy, with the assistance of a visual prompter, showed the students pictures from a three-week trip to Ghana, Senegal and Morocco.

Among the pictures were a Ghanaian monetary note, a market and a fishing village in that country.

After the function, Orane told The Gleaner that the company thought it was important for the children to learn about their African heritage.

"We care about our young people understanding our heritage because a majority of us have African ancestry," he said.

The children were drawn from various schools in the Corporate Area, such as St George's Girls and Infant, Calabar Primary and Junior High and Jessie Ripoll Primary.