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Dema African Ensemble is inspired by the liberal arts philosophy that a student who gains a broader experience and understanding of the various and creative process in the arts and sciences will become a more sensitive, expressive, and effective member of society and develop a broader worldview. The ensemble is designed to use the central interdisciplinary tenets of dance studies, ethnomusicology, and performance studies, as a creative performance space. It nurtures, advances, and produces versatile artists who utilize the interconnectedness of movement embodiment, aural and visual art forms as a vehicle for independent growth, and without the usual pressure of conventional stage productions. Dema, Agoro, Waasa are just few of many terms used by various ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa to describe the concept of a total performance experience. That is, the combination of dance, music, singing, and storytelling, costume-making, among others, intends to educate, teach, learn, and to entertain. In addition to written assignments, oral intellectual knowledge production is central and highly valued in Dema as a means of encouraging independence, critical thinking, self-worth, and freedom of the mind for students to discover their voices. This is a topics course. The topic will change each term depending on the individualized focus of the students and instructor each term. Fall focus will be on developing dance and music skills; Winter will focus on the cultural and performance aspects of the material; Spring will bring it all together in rehearsal and performance as a culminating experience for the year.