DIPLOMA IN TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY DANCES OF 2018-2020

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE IN AFRICA

TOUBAB DIALAW|

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PREAMBLE

ECOLE DES SABLES, A HOME FOR DANCE IN AFRICA.

Despite the financial difficulties that the Ecole des Sables is currently going through, we are happy to be able to set up a second training course over 3 years after the very positive results of the 2015 - 2017 class. As always, training is the most important foundation for the life and work of a dancer, an artist. The Ecole des Sables has successfully maintained this vision for 20 years, for dancers from all over Africa. We wish good luck and determination to the young dancers; we salute their commitment and their acceptance of this challenge that will help them in their professional and personal lives.

Founders of the Ecole des Sables Germaine Acogny and Helmut Vogt

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ECOLE DES SABLES a) The School

Ecole des Sables, the International Center for Traditional and Contemporary Dance in Africa, is both a school of theoretical and practical education and a research laboratory, a place for meetings and exchanges, conferences and artistic residencies. It was created in 1998 by Germaine Acogny, considered as the Mother of Contemporary African Dance, and her husband Helmut Vogt. Since then, Ecole des Sables regularly organizes professional training courses bringing together dancers and choreographers from Africa, its Diaspora, and the world. Since it’s founding, more than 500 dancers from 26 African countries have received high-level technical training from internationally renowned African and Western teachers. The workspace consists of two large dance studios: one 400m² with a sand floor, called "Aloopho," and the other 280m² with a professional floor, called "Salle Henriette". On the other hand, the Center also has a flexible conference room that is used to host seminars, conferences and dance classes or rehearsals. The school has 24 accommodation bungalows with a total capacity of 72 people divided into three "villages". Meals are taken in the restaurant of the Center with a capacity of 70 people. The restaurant is run by women from the village. Ecole des Sables is located in Senegal near the coastal village of Toubab Dialaw, 50 km south of Dakar. The Center is situated above a lagoon, 200m from very beautiful cliff-bordered beaches, and close to the African savannah full of baobabs. b) The Leaders

GERMAINE ACOGNY. One of the most famous and charismatic personalities of Contemporary African Dance, especially in the field of education and its development. According to Jeune Afrique magazine, one of Africa's 50 most influential women. At the age of 73, she continues to dance, choreograph, and teach around the world. HELMUT VOGT. Husband of Germaine Acogny, he has worked with her for more than 30 years. Before the Ecole des Sables, he created a dance center, "Die Tanzetage", in Frankfort (Germany), which he directed for 10 years. He also has experience as a banker and in advertising. PATRICK ACOGNY.A choreographer, teacher and dancer, he is one of the few Africans with a doctorate in aesthetics, technologies, and performing arts. He specializes in contemporary and traditional dance techniques from Africa, particularly the deconstruction and reconstruction of patrimonial dances. Since January 2015, Patrick Acogny is the artistic director of the Ecole des Sables and one of its main teachers.

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PROJECT PRESENTATION a) General Presentation

Over the last twenty years, Ecole des Sables has implemented important development work by training a wide range of dancers from diverse backgrounds and countries in various types of dance trainings and specializations. Ecole des Sables has become a primary reference for dance in Africa, a structure that strongly supports the artistic and personal development of young artists with great potential, filling the absence of quality dance schools on the continent. In 2015, the school transformed its training program in order to remedy the lack of professional training opportunities in Africa and to meet a widespread need for artistic innovation in dance. The new program strives to be more relevant as it provides more intensive and responsive coaching with a focus on in-depth and ongoing work. The Ecole more than ever wants to maintain its educational role and offer development opportunities to young dancers on the continent, raising the bar in terms of innovation and choreographic creation. The Ecole is committed to African dance training and supports the continent's creative potential through the launch of the second diploma program in traditional and contemporary dances from Africa for twenty-four talented dancers from all over the continent. b) Background

In 2015, Ecole des Sables decided to set up a three-year diploma granting program to optimize the training of African dancers. Indeed, the need for more rigorous and sustained training was felt in light of the weakness of choreographic productions on the continent and the lack of competent dancers for local companies. Three years later, the first class of 18 dancers recently graduated. It is too early to know what effects they will have on the dance sectors of their countries and internationally, but there are high expectations of their abilities to shake and influence dance back home and abroad. The diploma program is organized in three-month long modules, one each year for three consecutive years. The first module focuses on the work of the dancer-performer as a vital tool in the creative process. Then, in the second and third sessions, choreographic tools (improvisation, composition, theory, and choreographic practice) are taught to develop trainees’ curiosity and creativity as well as their skills as performers and potential choreographers. During these three years of training, there is a steady progression of trainees, both physically and mentally. Between the modules, the dancers return home and apply what they have learned, taking advantage of this period of maturation and experimentation. They return to the school with a stronger ability to reflect on choreographic issues, a better knowledge of their bodies, and a clearer idea of their personal and professional ambitions. It remains to be seen what their hard work will yield in the years to come, but there are strong reasons to be optimistic about their abilities to succeed in the fields they choose to pursue. The 2018-2020 training will continue this program with its progression from dancer-performer to choreographer. New dance teachers will be invited to share their knowledge and bring new ideas. The diversity of teachers makes it possible to broaden the knowledge of trainees, to introduce diverse forms and artistic approaches, and to include a variety of stories that build the artists differently. With both permanent and invited instructors, Ecole des Sables seeks to offer a wide range of choreographic approaches to its trainees.

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1. To train dancers in the methods and subtleties of contemporary choreographic interpretation. 2. To prepare dancers for the difficulties of the sector through technical and intellectual training. 3. To broaden the vision of dancers of contemporary and African dances. 4. To offer practical (technical and intellectual) tools for choreographic design: improvisation, composition, body and musical expression, knowledge of the choreographic and artistic world. d) Beneficiaries of the project

DANCE COMPANIES

This training will improve the level of the dancers involved, allowing them to make new techniques and high quality creations available to their companies. This training will enrich their creative potential. CULTURAL AGENDA

This training will reinforce programmers’ conviction and confidence in the professionalism of African choreographers, which will encourage touring opportunities for the creations of these contemporary African dance professionals. CHOREGRAPHERS

This training will encourage choreographers in their processes of joint North-South or South- South creations. They will be able to recruit from this pool of professional dancers for their creations. DANCE SCHOOLS AND OTHER TRAINING SPACES

The professionals resulting from this training will in turn be able to train and supervise young dancers through the establishment of training workshops across the African continent. e) Artistic and Social Impact

This project has an artistic and social impact as it offers African dancers the opportunity to better master their art, to be able to make new and original creations, and to gain the skills needed to organize workshops, trainings, and other activities when they return home. Thus, these professional dancers will carry this project forward through the different activities that they will be able to implement following the training. The expertise gained at Ecole des Sables extends through the various activities and projects that the trainees conduct throughout the continent.

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This project has a real social impact because the majority of young artists it supports do not have adequate resources and come from difficult or marginal backgrounds. This training offers them the rare opportunity to work in an environment of great excellence, to become models for the next generation of artists, and to share social themes through new artistic expressions at the local and international levels. Moreover, the activities carried out in their country of origin as well as collaborations with dancers from other countries provides them with creative projects they may propose to festivals and programmers in , the United States, and all over the world. Ecole des Sables also assists dancers with the development of tools for artistic promotion (photos, websites, etc.), enabling each dancer to position oneself in the international market of live performance. With the realization of this project, Ecole des Sables confirms not only its major role as a training center for the development of dance, but also as a social educator for African artists.

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The first group of dancers in the Diploma in Traditional and Contemporary Dances of Africa program from Ecole des Sables 2015 - 2017 was completed in June 2017, with 18 dancers from 13 different countries: , , Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Madagascar, , Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad and .

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Agathe Djokam, Cameroun "Professional training in traditional and contemporary African dance at the Ecole des Sables, which has lasted three years, including three months each year, is a dream come true for me. It has been a wonderful professional experience, which has built me and gives me the power today to act and express myself through dance. It has changed my view of things, and until today, although it is complete, continues to flow in me and to shape my being and my artistic thinking. My best memory is all my moments of tears, doubts, and questioning of my work and my person, while my biggest challenge has been to recognize and accept my flaws. At the end of this training, I was able to take up this challenge and I use it today as a strength and motivation in my work. "

Robert Ssempijja, Uganda "I would like to thank everyone who has never stopped believing in me and who has supported me all the time. I feel ready to continue to the next adventure! When I think of all the moments at Ecole des Sables, I could never forget those memories, because that's where I realized what I'm worth and that I can become someone. Many times I asked myself, what would I have done if I had never been to the Ecole des Sables? "

Kadidja Tiemanta, Mali "The best of the training was for me to meet all these dancers of Africa with their different cultures but also to push us to go beyond our limits in creation. And the big challenge for me was to create differently and tell me that everything is possible when you really get started. I thank the Ecole des Sables and all its team for training and hospitality, especially Patrick Acogny. May God bless the founders (Germaine Acogny and Helmut Vogt) and the School of Sands for all they do for the dancers of the world. "

Alain Sinandja, Togo

"I found this training experience very rewarding and important in my dance career. This diploma actually benefits me already because I will be able to apply to other schools in the world. This experience made me change my way of seeing, thinking and performing the dance! Now the biggest challenge is to go far in my career and show the school that they did well to have selected me for this training. "

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THE DIPLOMA a) Presentation of the training The training aims to instill in African dancers international professional realities by familiarizing them with different modes of choreographic composition and choreographers’ expectations for performers.

This training is also an introduction to choreography, which facilitates the dancers’ understanding of choreographers' working methods and their ways of thinking while providing them with the opportunity to try the adventure of choreographic creation themselves.

Finally, the training seeks to encourage the participation of women in the professions of dancer- performer and choreographer. Ecole des Sables recognizes that the presence of women in contemporary dance continues to be weak and is working to establish parity between men and women.

The training at Ecole des Sables is open to all dancers of the African continent and the Black Diaspora, whatever the language used (French, English, Portuguese, etc.)

After each training session, trainees present their work to the inhabitants of the village of Toubab Dialaw and neighboring villages as well as the capital, Dakar, 55 km away. This presentation has the advantage of familiarizing the public with contemporary dance practices while inspiring interest in choreographic art by young people. It demonstrates the high quality of training for dance lovers and the public while reassuring the donors and political institutions of the value of the work provided by the teachers of Ecole des Sables and its managers. b) Training Format The Diploma in Traditional and Contemporary Dances of Africa is for 23 African dancers, selected on the basis of a solid level of training in traditional and contemporary dance and demonstrating great creative and artistic potential. The training program is spread over 3 years (2018 to 2020), organized in three three-month modules.

Internationally renowned teachers of different dance techniques are invited for three weeks. Each teacher shares his or her methodologies of creation and composition with the dancers. Alongside practice and theoretical courses, instructors show videos of their work and explain their processes of creation and interpretation. They discuss their specific expectations for professional level work and the difficulties that dancers face while offering them keys to solve and overcome such difficulties.

These teachers come from very different backgrounds and cultures. They bring a varied and rich imagination that can stimulate and nourish the dancers’ own imaginations. The choice of the variety of techniques and cultures is enriching for dancers not accustomed to rub elbows with renowned foreign choreographers.

Seminars are organized with university professors, experts, and artists who are invited to come and present their work to the dancers. Screenings of video dances and documentary films about influential choreographers are also organized to broaden and deepen the dancers' thinking and further increase their knowledge of the field.

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2018 - Performer games. (Three-month intensive module from April 18th to June 28th) Questions around the dancer-performer in one’s own creations and those of other choreographers.

In this module, trainees are educated in the art of choreographic interpretation. Each teacher transmits a piece of one’s repertoire as a tool for teaching the technical and intellectual means to perform an expected role. The dancer learns what it is like to own a dance by differentiating between being as close to the original as possible and respecting your own style and technique while freeing yourself from the original. Dancers will also develop choreographic proposals as they begin to learn how to find their own inspiration and vision. The theoretical component aims to clarify the specificities of traditional African dances and those of dancing bodies through an aesthetic approach. A historical study of African dances will be offered to better understand the field of dance in which the dancers live. Teachers: Contemporary African Dance; Deconstruction of traditional dances: Patrick Acogny Technique Acogny: Alesandra Seutin and Raouf Tchakondo Contemporary Dance: Vincent Verburg and Dayna Martinez Morales

2019 - Choreographic games. (Three-month intensive module from April 22th to June 28th) Learning choreographic tools to reinforce and deepen the dancers' performance skills.

In this module focused on composition, the trainees will work on mini creations and will learn the use of certain classic choreographic tools that choreographers often revisit. These tools help the dancer to better improvise through exercises that develop one’s perception of space and listening while developing new relationships to music and to temporality. At the same time, these tools develop a dancer’s relationship to the other and ultimately aim to invite the dancer to finer sensory perceptions. As in all modules, the theoretical component will explore different topics that African dancers address very regularly: contemporary dance, traditional dances and contemporary African dance, and the issues and discourses that accompany them. Teachers: Contemporary African Dance: Patrick Acogny Technique Acogny : Alesandra Seutin and Raouf Tchakondo Contemporary Dance: Vincent Verburg, Dayna Morales

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2020 - Choreographic recreations. Three-month intensive module Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the training that was planned for 2020 has been postponed to 2021 from May 5 to July 13. Introduction to choreography. This module will be divided into two parts: the first part consists of training in composition methods and deepening the use of choreographic tools through courses with the teachers. In the second part, the trainees will mount small compositions including 3-minute solos and 5- minutegroup works. These productions aim to put into practice the trainees’ ideas using the tools recently acquired, which they will be tested on through public presentations of their works. During the process of research and composition, the teachers will coach and accompany the trainees. Teachers will regularly provide feedback including their thoughts on the choreographic articulations as well as on the creative processes and their social relevance. Topics around creation will be discussed including the binary positions of different creative partnerships, such as performer / choreographer, technician / artist, administrator / artist, etc. Teachers: Contemporary Dance: Gabriel Smeets, Andrea Boll et Karine Vyncke. Contemporary African Dance: Patrick Acogny Coaching : Sophiatou Kossoko et Julie Dossavi

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The three modules included in this overall training are under the artistic direction of Patrick Acogny, artistic director of Ecole des Sables. Teacher of contemporary African dance, he is a specialist in the deconstruction of patrimonial dances. This approach allows contemporary creation to be considered while preserving its link with its own traditions and roots. As always in the context of Ecole des Sables, the professional training offered to young dancers of the continent is based on a solid technical education, an excellent mastery of patrimonial dances, and an approach based in contemporary African dances. At the same time, this program is based on the work of deconstructing traditional dances proposed by Patrick Acogny, the modern African dance technique of Germaine Acogny, courses in contemporary Western dance techniques, and the exchange of knowledge between trainees. e) Evaluation

Evaluation systems are put in place to measure the progress of the dancers throughout their training.

A sheet of physical and mental self-evaluation, which allows the dancer to self-evaluate on a technical basis (according to the specificities of the dances), including physical and mental progress. The self-evaluation sheet teaches dancers to look at and correct oneself and to evaluate one’s progress with lucidity. This sheet is commented on by the teachers and the artistic director as well as the dancer.

An evaluation sheet by teachers, which assesses trainees’ progress, strengths and weaknesses on a technical and creative level.

Regular individual interviews with dancers to discuss their difficulties in order to support them.

Meetings between the teachers and the artistic director to evaluate the courses offered according to the needs of the group and to discuss how to better serve the dancers to help them progress.

A teacher evaluation sheet will be given to the dancers so that they have the opportunity to elaborate on their appreciation of the teachers' courses, relevance, quality, and impact. f) The dancers

Twenty-four dancers will be selected among candidates from all African countries. The criteria for the selection of the candidates are:

o From Africa and living in an African country o Between 18 and 26 years old o Strong academic level o Member of a dance company for at least 2 years o Proficiency in French or English

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PROJECT FACT SHEET

DIPLOMA IN TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY DANCES PROJECT TITLE OF AFRICA AT ECOLE DES SABLES (2018- 2020)

SITE ECOLE DES SABLES, TOUBAB DIALAW (Senegal)

IMPLEMENTING 2018 - 2020 PERIOD

TOTAL PROJECT 3 MODULES OF 3 MONTHS OVER 3 YEARS DURATION

BUDGET PER 100 620 € MODULE General Objective Facilitate access to quality specialized education for young African dancers by promoting contemporary dance in Africa. Specific Objectives Offer high-level professional training in traditional and contemporary dance. PROJECT GOALS Contribute to the professionalization of the dancer's profession on the continent and to the development of the dancers’ careers. Stimulate and enhance contemporary African and traditional choreographic creation. Foster collaboration and exchange between dancers, choreographers, and companies from Africa and other continents.

TARGET GROUP Talented dancers of Africa

OTHER Dance Companies – Cultural Programmers - BENEFICIARIES Choreographers - Training Locations - African dance professionals master new techniques and immerse themselves in the evolution of contemporary world dance. Professional African dancers receive quality training and OUTPUTS deepen their skills allowing them to approach their work with quality and creativity. The quality of choreographic creations is raised and African artists obtain opportunities to tour the continent and elsewhere in the world.

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ECOLE DES SABLES | TOUBAB DIALAW | SENEGAL

WWW.ECOLEDESSABLES.ORG

[email protected]

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