Yoruba Girl Dancing

Author: Simi Bedford Setting: Nigeria and England in the 1950s Protagonist's culture/ethnicity: Nigerian

In Yoruba Girl Dancing the action moves from Lagos, Nigeria, to London, England in the 1950s. The reader sees through the eyes of Remi, a precocious 6-year-old who enjoys a colorful and privileged existence among her many friends and relatives in her African community. It is not long, however, before Remi finds her comfortable life turned upside down, and she is forced to make a long, unfamiliar journey to England to receive her education. Bereft of friends and family, Remi must learn to adapt to life in England, a place far different from her Nigerian home.

Enrolled in the rigid British school system, Remi struggles to be accepted by her teachers and classmates, who regard her as an exotic intruder. One of only a few black students at her school, Remi aspires to become so English that she will not be considered different. Although she is successful in her efforts to transform herself into an English schoolgirl, the transformation is achieved at the expense of her cultural identity. Torn between her desire to fit into English society and her need to defend Africa's honor against the inaccurate information that she receives at school, Remi tries to find a place to belong. When after years of separation Remi is finally reunited with her Nigerian friends and family, she begins to regain the self-confidence and pride in being African that she lost upon coming to England.

Remi's experience of loneliness and isolation come to an end when she finds friendship and a sense of belonging in the multicultural community of international students, including other Africans, that she becomes part of. After enduring many hardships during her stay in England Remi feels strengthened by her ability to overcome adversity and looks forward to returning to her home in Africa.

Back to the article