Jant Bi
Beautiful & blissful place vraiment
On my way with my bats
Car rapide
My Senegalese people will get it
La grace Africaine & de la Diaspora
It was beautiful
Kids playing on our way to Toubab Diallow
Senegalese tradional move
@ L'ecole des Sables
My friend beautiful dancer Fatou Samb was part of the show
Germaine Acogny embraced, loved by her students
Finally got the chance to meet Tata Fatime Faye, un amour de femme vraiment:)
Thank you for the sweet welcome
Go down.....
Germaine Acogny's formidable hubby w/her son Patrick
Miss Teclaire in love with the moment
Miss Ange Aoussou in the front w/the other beautiful performers
It felt like a privileged moment for us spectators, just for a moment our lives were put on pause and we were existing in the moment, being transported by the sensual and melodic way these African bodies were moving.
1,2,3,4,5....there were 43 free spirits sharing with us and that whether we were here or not the gifts of live they were given by the Allmighty. They were young women ,young men, young mothers, young fathers living in that one moment celebrating what took 3 months in the village of Toubab Diallow to learn the secrets and the philosophy of Germaine Acogny at her dance school or sanctuary if I may say the prestigious "L'ecole des sables".
Et pourtant, yes and yet, most of us in attendance were novice at lyrical dancing mixed with traditional dancing , we won't have the pretense to say that we understood exactly what each of their beautiful strong, delicate, sweet and not so sweet body movements meant BUT it meant something to me, it meant that we can all be what we want to be.
When I saw dancers like Ivoirian Ange Aoussou or british dancer Alessandra Seuti I was reminded of the gift that is the body , the gift that is to feel what we need to feel in the moment, the cadeau that is to dance in the moment.
I wasn't really surprised at the end of the show to see people crying, being moved by these dancers, their energy, no I understood that in just that one afternoon we were all one with these brave dancers. I say brave because I'm sure for dancers like Rachelle Goualy, Fatou Samb,Franck Bakekolo it wasn't necessarly easy to be accepted as an artist within the society, to say yes I want to move for a living , I want to move as a life purpose. The fight for this freedom wasn't clear as summer sky I presume. No! but here they are showing through this atelier lead by Germaine Acogny, Patrick Acogny, Nora Chaupemire, Mr Fo that yes they can.
My friend writer and blogger Teclaire who kindly invited me on this journey (I'm forever thankful sista vraiment)& I couldn't stop talking about our emotions on our way back to Dakar.We fell in love with the school, the peace and beautiful sense of serenity and spirituality that we were breathing as we were tincturing ourselves of this experience.
That afternoon, dance ,peace,friendship , spirituality were complimenting each other. We could tell that even though these performers worked their hard butts off (cos you know their bodies are solid as rocks..ouhhhhI envy them lol) they became friends, they learned about each other .
At the end of the showcase each student was to introduce him or herself and the country that they represented and it was pure joy hearing them shout out "BURKINA FASSO", "KENYA", "TCHAD", "BRAZIL", or "GUINEA EQUATORIAL" with so much pride, there were 20 nations represented..and just as they were basking themselselves in that one moment of pride it dawned me that they were world ambassadors, YES wherever these beautiful dancers will get the chance to perform they will represent and really stand for their people..so don't let anyone tell you that arts don't mean anything..it means EVERYTHING.
Don't believe me pray Allah to be given the chance to spend an afternoon at l'ecole des Sables de Germain Acogny:)
Praying to be invited again.....
Fabulafricainement yours,
PS: Teclaire you rock sista...thank u, thank u ,diarama soulsista:)
Check her out @ www.lepagne.blogspot.com
www.jantbi.org
You can watch some students from UCLA learning @ L'Ecole des sables, HERE
Yaye
1,2,3,4,5....there were 43 free spirits sharing with us and that whether we were here or not the gifts of live they were given by the Allmighty. They were young women ,young men, young mothers, young fathers living in that one moment celebrating what took 3 months in the village of Toubab Diallow to learn the secrets and the philosophy of Germaine Acogny at her dance school or sanctuary if I may say the prestigious "L'ecole des sables".
Et pourtant, yes and yet, most of us in attendance were novice at lyrical dancing mixed with traditional dancing , we won't have the pretense to say that we understood exactly what each of their beautiful strong, delicate, sweet and not so sweet body movements meant BUT it meant something to me, it meant that we can all be what we want to be.
When I saw dancers like Ivoirian Ange Aoussou or british dancer Alessandra Seuti I was reminded of the gift that is the body , the gift that is to feel what we need to feel in the moment, the cadeau that is to dance in the moment.
I wasn't really surprised at the end of the show to see people crying, being moved by these dancers, their energy, no I understood that in just that one afternoon we were all one with these brave dancers. I say brave because I'm sure for dancers like Rachelle Goualy, Fatou Samb,Franck Bakekolo it wasn't necessarly easy to be accepted as an artist within the society, to say yes I want to move for a living , I want to move as a life purpose. The fight for this freedom wasn't clear as summer sky I presume. No! but here they are showing through this atelier lead by Germaine Acogny, Patrick Acogny, Nora Chaupemire, Mr Fo that yes they can.
My friend writer and blogger Teclaire who kindly invited me on this journey (I'm forever thankful sista vraiment)& I couldn't stop talking about our emotions on our way back to Dakar.We fell in love with the school, the peace and beautiful sense of serenity and spirituality that we were breathing as we were tincturing ourselves of this experience.
That afternoon, dance ,peace,friendship , spirituality were complimenting each other. We could tell that even though these performers worked their hard butts off (cos you know their bodies are solid as rocks..ouhhhhI envy them lol) they became friends, they learned about each other .
At the end of the showcase each student was to introduce him or herself and the country that they represented and it was pure joy hearing them shout out "BURKINA FASSO", "KENYA", "TCHAD", "BRAZIL", or "GUINEA EQUATORIAL" with so much pride, there were 20 nations represented..and just as they were basking themselselves in that one moment of pride it dawned me that they were world ambassadors, YES wherever these beautiful dancers will get the chance to perform they will represent and really stand for their people..so don't let anyone tell you that arts don't mean anything..it means EVERYTHING.
Don't believe me pray Allah to be given the chance to spend an afternoon at l'ecole des Sables de Germain Acogny:)
Praying to be invited again.....
Fabulafricainement yours,
PS: Teclaire you rock sista...thank u, thank u ,diarama soulsista:)
Check her out @ www.lepagne.blogspot.com
www.jantbi.org
You can watch some students from UCLA learning @ L'Ecole des sables, HERE
Yaye
3 comments:
Very well written and thank you for sharing your experience so vividly! The art of dance brings out another energy, light, spirit and expression to people.
J'aime ta façon de nous parler du Sénégal et de ses évènements culturels , malheureusement je n'ai jamais la chance de tomber dessus quand j'y vais... peut être pourrais tu nous avertir des évènements intéressant qui s'y passe ? en vrai ça doit être encore mieux qu'en lecture... ;p
Des photos magnifiques pour des rencontres riches, j'ai beaucoup aimé ce billet :)
Post a Comment