Dance Like a Butterfly

Explore the culture and rich musical traditions of four West African countries with this vibrant collection of folk songs. Dance Like a Butterfly includes songs from Liberia, Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana.

Each song in this valuable collection explores a wide variety of pedagogical strategies, including solfege and rhythm reading, call and response singing, listening and rote learning lessons, recorder and various percussion instrument activities, creative movement, harmony and part-singing, and more.

Authors Kwasi Dunyo and Karen Howard treat cultural context—including details about each country's history, people, languages, and traditions—with equal importance. They also provide translations, phonetic pronunciations, and background information for each song.

Dance Like a Butterfly includes access to supplemental online resources, including PowerPoint slides, recordings of the songs with pronunciation guides, videos of movement activities, and dozens of links to more resources about West Africa and its music.

As part of the World Music Initiative series, this book thoughtfully guides teachers in using West African songs in the music classroom while respecting the people's authenticity and stories behind the music. These captivating songs are sure to expand minds and spark students' and teachers' creativity in fresh and exciting ways!