Institute For Cultural Partnerships

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Sudanese Dinka Bor Song and Dance

Artists:

Monica Ayuen (Master Artist)
Michael Diing (Apprentice)

Description of the Art Form

The Dinka people living in Bor , Sudan have a rich history surrounding their cultural and traditional practices. Dancing is an art form that many cultures and societies use to pass down traditions and information about their history and past. The Dinka use dance and song in this way, but also use it as form of entertainment and leisure. The Dinka are primarily located in south Sudan and each Dinka community has their own traditional songs and dance.

Monica Ayuen (Master Artist)

Place of Birth: Bor , Sudan
Current Place of Residence: Erie , PA

Artist Statement

My cultural community is the Dinka Bor. We are mostly Christian now, but a long time ago we had a traditional religion. We speak Dinka, and we are Nilotic people. The Dinka are from Sudan but now, because of war, we now live everywhere. The Dinka Bor has a few words and the sounds of words are a little different from the other kinds of Dinka.

My art form is Dinka Bor traditional songs and dances. I can’t remember when I started to sing and dance because I was just a little girl. I had two cousins, one boy, one girl, they were teenagers when I was in the camps and they taught me a lot of songs and dances. Dinka teenagers have a kind of dance where the boys call the girls to dance. I was too young to be called to dance, but I followed anyway, and my cousins let me stay and learn until I was old enough myself to get called to dance.

Dinka Bor song and dance is entertainment and ritual. We didn’t have modern entertainment in Africa , the war kept us behind in technology, so we depended on singing and dancing as entertainment. Now we live in the U.S. , but we still value our tradition so we can remember our ancestors, so we can entertain other people, and let them know what our culture is. We Dinka have lost so much, our land, our cattle, but we have not lost our songs. We don’t want to loose our songs.

Accomplishments/milestones

• 2004, Participated in Old Songs New Opportunities Project where she learned how to use traditional songs in American daycares

• 2006, Hired at a daycare in Erie , PA where she shares her music and dance daily with the children

• 2007, Earned her GED

Michael Diing (Apprentice)

Place of Birth: Abbi , Sudan
Current Place of Residence: Erie , PA

Artist Statement

Michael Diing settled in Erie , PA in June 2001 after being forced to relocate because of conflict and war in Sudan . Being born in the small village of Abii , Sudan , the first Dinka Bor village, Michael’s cultural heritage is very important to him. “I learned some Dinka songs and dances when I was child. I forgot all the songs I learned when I was young. I started to learn more songs when I was in refugee camps. It is important to me because it is our culture. I want to pass these songs and dances on to my own children (when I have them). To not know my culture’s songs and dances is very bad.”