On Saturday afternoons in the town of Frederiksted, one can hear the sound of African drums in the air. These drums are pounding out the rhythm for the African Dance classes held in St. Gerard's Hall, in the midst of ancient tamarind trees. This particular Saturday, the class was given as a free community service in honor of Black History Month.

	The class began with the drummers and the teachers getting coordinated in the rhythms they wanted to sound out. The class began with easier steps and gradually progressed to more difficult steps.

	At first the drumming was slow, led by Dembaya Drummers with a few hands tapping goatskin drums. As time went on more drums were added and the rhythm became more intense and talkative as various rhythms joined together in symphony.

	The children are included in the dance. It is a natural response to the rhythm - the beating of the heart.

	More drummers join in.

	By tying baby onto the back, baby can dance too. Another method we have of introducing children to the rhythmic dance.

	With every new tide of advancing dancers, there is a new step to learn.

	There are now more drums keeping time.

	Everyone can learn the moves regardless of experience or stamina. It is good exercise, too!

	We now see all the drums and drummers. The beat is now at its most complex.

	Mrs. Mary Nana Adwoa Lewis takes her turn as teacher. She is a native African and teaches what she learned in the homeland. How does she get such height in the jumps which seem without effort?

	As she teaches this step, we realize that it is a shoulder thing. Shoulders roll back and forward in this movement.

	Now that all of the steps have been rehearsed and tried, each lady dances her solo before the drums, putting her favorite steps together as her unique expression of the dance. The other ladies cheer her on as she creates her answer to the drums.

	And as the crescendo of sound reaches its height the ladies gather to thank the drummers before the class is released.