As we walked down the red dirt path and weaved through the rocks, winding down into a carefully carved space, I was uncertain about what to expect. We had entered a new location earlier that day, but in that movement, we had entered a new community. 

The men were dressed in many different colors, ranging from blue to yellow, along with yellow shoes and a yellow headpiece. In between their feet were drums and in between their hands were tambourines, they were ready to play music. As they began hitting the drums with their hands, marching around in a circle, and singing each song with great volume and joy, we were encouraged to join along. 

I sometimes hesitate when engaging with a new culture because I do not want to intrude or make assumptions about what is appropriate. But as I saw the men that stood before me light up when we began to clap our hands together and smile when we danced to the beat of the music, I began to understand that part of learning about a new culture is the willingness to participate. Had we remained solely as spectators, we would not have felt the culture that was evident through this experience: a tight-knit community bound together by traditions, music, and joy.

I saw the importance of accepting an invitation when it is offered. There can be a tension between respecting boundaries and engaging. However, the enthusiasm with which they encouraged us to join the circle made it clear that they wanted us to engage, and by trusting those invitations, I was able to move beyond observing their community and briefly become a part of it.

This unlocked a new experience: the opportunity to engage with the little girls who began to dance beside us. I found myself holding hands with a young girl named Manuela within the circle. As we danced, I kept searching for words she might understand or words I could understand. The language barrier felt like a wall, prohibiting us from getting to know each other, but I soon realized that words were not going to be the factor that would connect us. Instead, the barrier forced us to communicate in new ways I had never considered before. Because I could not rely on conversation, I had to rely on movement and presence to create a bond. 

I remembered a hand game I absolutely loved as a child and began teaching it to her. As she watched my hands carefully and concentrated on each movement, she soon had the handshake down. We repeated the sequence over and over until she got the hang of it, and each time we completed the handshake, she would laugh and indicate to do it over again. I watched her become more comfortable. The hesitation that she had originally felt with me slowly disappeared. She began pulling me toward the dance circle, initiating games and leading the interactions. 

This experience reminded me that culture cannot be fully understood through academia alone. While textbooks and articles can be written about culture, they cannot replicate the feeling of participating in it. By stepping into the dance circle and connecting with Manuela, I gained an understanding of the community’s connection and joy that could only come through firsthand exposure.