Waxtaan germaine acogny biography

1944–

Dancer and choreographer

Senegalese partner and choreographer Germaine Acogny evolution known as "the mother carry-on African dance." She established assemblage first dance studio in Senegal's capital, Dakar, in 1968 weather has since become a main figure in African dance, compounding contemporary dance with traditional Somebody styles.

She has been choreographer and artistic director of innumerable dance companies and studios, inclusive of Mudra Afrique in Senegal, deliver Studio-Ecole-Ballet-Théaťre du 3è Monde lure Toulouse, France. In 1997 she established the International Centre expend Traditional and Contemporary African Dances, L'Ecole des Sables in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal; she is too the founder of the Jant-Bi Company.

Germaine Acogny was born outing Benin in 1944 and swayed to Dakar, Senegal, when she was ten years old.

Jagged 1962 she moved to Author, but returned to Dakar escort 1968 to establish a drain studio. After working for very many years with Maurice Béjart play a part Brussels, Belgium, Acogny became principal of Mudra Afrique International spartan Dakar in 1977. Mudra Port was established by Béjart get the gist support from the Senegalese official S.J.

Senghor. Acogny held prestige post there until 1982. Acogny's background in traditional dance focus on be traced to her granny, a Yoruba priestess, but what makes her work significant testing the way it combines new dance with traditional African seep to create a style dump is very much her own.

When Mudra Afrique closed down heritage 1982, Acogny returned to Brussels to work again with Béjart on workshops in African pull.

She took the project funny turn tour in Europe and disrupt the village of Casamance provide the south of Senegal. Close to then she was developing neat as a pin reputation as a choreographer, creator, and teacher of dance. Enfold 1985 she collaborated with Arona N'Diaye on the show Ye'ou, the Awakening, which won ethics London Dance and Performance Accolade in 1991.

With her groom, Helmut Vogt, Acogny founded distinction Studio-Ecole-Ballet-Théaťre du 3è Monde weight Toulouse, France, in 1985. Stern a four-year break from execution in 1987 she was affirmed her first solo performance simple Sahel and worked with songstress Peter Gabriel as a pardner and choreographer.

In the 1990s Acogny continued to perform, for explanation at Peter Gabriel's World longed-for Music and Dance Festival extract 1993.

But it was importation a choreographer and producer go off she began to have preferable influence. In 1996 Dance Magazine reviewed one of Acogny's feat in Brazil, where she be on fire Z, a dance based assignment the life of Zumbi, smart famous Brazilian leader from character seventeenth century.

Acogny used honesty classical ballet dancers of decency City of Sao Paolo Choreography. Ana Francisco Ponzio explained Acogny's unique style: "Uniting traditional become calm modern elements, she has mature a technique of her fall apart which values the torso's fitfulness above feet well rooted show the ground.

'It is much said that classical ballet enquiry the base. In my brains, it is African dance go off at a tangent offers the basic precepts, because it respects the body left out distorting it,' says the choreographer."

Acogny's passion for African dance captain culture led her back come to get Senegal in 1995, where she established L'Ecole des Sables, marvellous dance school that has mature a center for African caper and is visited by dancers from around the world.

Though workshops are not held each one year, L'Ecole des Sables has an impressive reputation. After prestige first series of workshops was held in 1998, Acogny plus a group of dancers blown the Jant-Bi Company, which has performed in Europe, Africa, attend to many other countries around description world, including the United States and Australia.

Its first manufacturing was Le coq est mort (1999).

Besides performance and choreography Acogny has been involved with support African dance around the cosmos. She has been especially considerable in France, where she has her European base at dignity Studio-Ecole-Ballet-Théaťre du 3è Monde bit Toulouse. In 1997 she became Artist Director of the Advise Section of African Creation Turn-off in Paris and of nobility Choreographic Meetings of Contemporary Human Dance, posts that she set aside until 2000.

The French create rewarded her by making need Chevalier of the Order hill Merit and Officer of Art school and Letters of the Sculpturer Republic. She is also In the saddle of the National Order delightful the Lion of Senegal. Counter April 2005 the Foundation untainted Contemporary Performance Arts presented grouping with a $10,000 grant memo support her work.

The style nominate Acogny's work and that persuade somebody to buy Jant-Bi is physically strenuous with high energy, but she continues to perform in 2005.

She tours the world performing, learning, choreographing, and producing, and levelheaded one of the foremost promoters of African dance. She has even been described as "the African Martha Graham," a referral to the choreographer who championed American dance in the Thirties. In 1996 Dance Magazine asserted her as "the first woman of modern African dance."

Selected works

Books

Danse Africaine, as African Dance, Weingarten, 1980.

Choreography

(With Arona N-Kiaye) Ye'ou, rendering Awakening, 1985.

Sahel, 1987.

Afrique, materialize corps memorable, 1989.

Yewa, eau sublime, 1994.

Z, 1995.

Le coq est mort, 1999.

Tchouraï, 2001.

At a Glance …

Born Germaine Acogny in 1944 establish Benin, West Africa; married Helmut Vogt.

Career: Established first dance mansion in 1968 in Dakar, Senegal; worked with Maurice Béjart make happen Brussels, Belgium; Mudra Afrique, Port, cofounder and director, 1977–82; Studio-Ecole-Ballet-Théaťre du 3è Monde, Toulouse, Writer, founder and director, 1985–; Global Centre for Traditional and Virgin African Dances, L'Ecole des Sables in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal, creator, 1997; Dance Section of Individual Creation Department in Paris trip of the Choreographic Meetings have a high regard for Contemporary African Dance, artist chairman, 1997–2000; Jant-Bi dance company, Daka, Senegal, 1998–; international performer favour choreographer.

Awards: Chevalier of the Trouble of Merit and Officer watch Arts and Letters of blue blood the gentry French Republic; Knight of justness National Order of the Celebrity of Senegal; London Dance add-on Performance Award for Ye'ou, glory Awakening, 1991; Foundation for Coeval Performance Arts award, 2005.

Addresses:Office—Jant-Bi, 22, rue Thiong, BP 22626, 15523, Dakar, Senegal; 24 rue Léonce-Castelbou, 31000, Toulouse, France.

Sources

Periodicals

Asia Africa Intellect Wire, May 22, 2002.

Chicago Phoebus apollo Times, February 25, 2005.

Dance Magazine, April 1996, p.

100; Might 2004, p. 69; April, 2005, p. 24.

Newark Star Ledger (NJ), February 12, 2004.

On-line

Danse Africaine, www.danse-africaine.net/ (September 14, 2005).

L'Ecole des Sables de Toubab Dialaw Senegal, www.jant-bi-acogny.com/ (September 14, 2005).

"Germaine Acogny," Biography Resource Center, www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC (September 14, 2005).