Trommler und Tänzer aus Afrika in einem Unterrichtsstudio.

African

Traditional African dance as taught today in Europe mostly originated in sub-Saharan Africa and features a close connection to live percussion. The African continent with its 53 countries possesses a rich and varied dance repertoire that is deeply rooted in the everyday awareness of people – in close communion with music and singing. At tanzhaus nrw, the concentration lies on teaching the sabra, a dance and drumming tradition from West African Senegal and Gambia and of the native Wolof tribe. Sabar is a courting dance that was once exclusively performed by women.
Sabar is marked by its polycentric structure in both dance and music, a rich dynamism, fascinating energy and an evident pure joy of life.

Instructors

Diene

Diene „Waaw Waaw“ Sagna

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Diene "Waaw Waaw" Sagna grew up in Senegal and founded his own dance company Yaye Dib Dance there in 2008. Diene Sagna is considered a master of Sabar dance and has worked with artists such as Baaba Maal, Youssou N`Dour, Mory Kanté and Coumba Gawlo Seck. He has also been organising regular dance workshops in Senegal since 2011, which are aimed at an international audience. Diene is recognised for his friendly and motivating as well as challenging way of teaching. His classes are welcoming to everyone. For him as a teacher and artist, the tanzhaus nrw is an important place of encounter: "For me, the tanzhaus nrw is like a big family where everyone believes in one thing - dance." With dedication, Diene, who now lives in Bonn, devotes himself to promoting West African art and culture. Performances, courses, workshops and other events have taken him to 40 countries so far.

Portrait of Oboja Adu

Oboja Adu

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Oboja Adu is a dancer, choreographer, musician and DJ from Ghana. As Ghanaian National Dance Champion, he first represented his country at the “Concord Malibu Worlddance Championship”. He won one of the most coveted awards for dancers in West Africa with his group Five Shining Stars in 1989. Since 1994, Oboja has been teaching at tanzhaus nrw. Additionally, he is a music producer as well as chairman and founder of the “ENIJE for Africa” association that holds the annual Düsseldorf “Africa Days”.