WHAT'S RING SHOUT?

Ring Shout was a dance-like form of Christian worship done by African-American slaves, mostly before the Civil War.  It involves moving in a counterclockwise circle, singing, clapping, stomping and beating on the floor rhythmically with a stick or broom.  (For a more complete description click here.)

OUR GOALS:

• LEARN ABOUT IT:  We will learn all we can from the few remaining practitioners of Ring Shout, and the people who have studied and written about Ring Shout.
  
• DO IT:  We will learn to do Ring Shout in as authentic a manner as is possible.
  
• SHARE IT:  We will start a small performance troupe which will demonstrate and share Ring Shout at local schools and churches.  Everything thing we learn will be posted on this web site.
  

OUR WEB PAGES:

• DEFINITION OF RING SHOUT
• LEARNING AND TEACHING RING SHOUT: Sticking, clapping, singing, and Ring  Shout movement lessons.
• HISTORICAL REFERENCES: Historical references to help people get a feel for what it was really like in the old days.
• BOOKS AND RECORDINGS
• WEB LINKS 
• OTHER GROUPS: Other groups attempting to save and revive old forms of African-American music/worship.