The kids in North Philadelphia think they’ve caught on to something new. Arms in motion, heads bopping back and forth to the rhythm, they gather to teach each other what will soon become the next dance craze, a fresh set of moves that they will take to summer block parties and local clubs.

However, Kariamu Welsh, chair of the Dance Department at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, has seen it all before. She recognizes their body language, the fluidity in their arms and the grace in their steps. What they assume is new is rooted in their ancestry, she explains.

“Dance in traditional African communities was used to acknowledge every aspect of life,” Welsh said. “By performing these movements we become part of a living document, a kinetic text, a moving history.”

In recognition of the rich dance traditions that exist in Philadelphia and other urban communities, Welsh and members of Kariamu & Company: Traditions will offer a program called the “I See You!” Dance Mobile, a traveling stage show that brings global dance traditions of the African and Latino diasporas to underserved communities.

Dance Mobile will roll into communities surrounding Temple from June 30 to July 12, with a projection of six performances. Performances will occur at or in proximity to school and church parking lots, recreation centers and housing projects.

The inaugural performance will take place Monday, June 30 on Gladfelter Hall’s mezzanine at 3 and 5 p.m.

The goal of the Dance Mobile project is to reach beyond the university setting to foster a greater understanding for the value of dance. It is an effort to “take the dance to the audience,” Takiyah Amin, program coordinator and doctorial candidate in the Dance Department.

“You cannot separate dance from its community,” Amin said. “The Dance Mobile allows for us to mirror the creativity of the African American and Latino communities and give back a reflection of their best selves.”

In addition to Welsh, recent M.F.A. graduate Tamara Thomas and Temple alumnus C. Kamal Nance will create short works for this occasion.

“Alvin Ailey once said: ‘Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.’ That statement encompasses what we hope to achieve through the Dance Mobile,” Amin said.