DAKAR, SENEGAL — I went to my first sabar. That’s a dance party for Senegalese women, or in this case, teenage girls. Catherine Porter is a former columnist and feature writer for the Toronto Star.

MIT’s Senegalese drumming ensemble ventured to West Africa during IAP to practice the art of sabar. KAOLACK, Senegal – The MIT students have just finished dinner and are crumpling soda cans into trash ...