[Organizers] defining "traditional" in music and dance

This is a question for traditional music/dance organizations around definitions and inclusion-- The DanceFlurry Board is beginning an examination of the types of music and dance forms that fall under our mandate of "supporting traditional music and dance from diverse cultures," with a specific eye to questions of including 20th century African-American forms such as Soul, Funk, and street dance under that umbrella. Some of this music is already included at our swing dances, and featured at our annual Albany Lindy and Blues event (http://www.albanylindyandblues.com). As we consider whether we want to engage in additional programming, collaborations, or outreach around these styles, we find ourselves contemplating the meaning of "traditional," and asking whether our goals of sharing and preserving traditional music and dance should be intentionally broadened to include forms less prominent in our predominantly White dance community. I would love to hear from any communities or organizations that have addressed these kinds of questions themselves, and might have thoughts, experiences, resources, or other information to offer. We are thinking of engaging a scholar of African-American music to educate our Board on the evolution of these forms, and are looking for other ideas on how to approach the question of which music and dance types we want to actively support through our organization, as well as other local organizations (NY) we might look to partner with. If you have any ideas for us, please email me at slove(a)danceflurry.org Many thanks! Shira