Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 19 June 2017

Senegal artist a legend fusing West African, modern dance

By CARLEY PETESCH dedicated a festival to her.
Associated Press “The greatest influence on
TOUBAB DIALAW, Senegal me has been the traditional
(AP) — The glow of a to- dances of my country. It’s
bacco pipe illuminates the that which gave me ideas,
stage before dancer Ger- it’s my influence, it’s that
maine Acogny begins to which is my roots and it’s
move. She uses a simple that which is at my base,”
black cloth to portray her Acogny told The Associ-
many identities: African, ated Press. She grew up
creator, mother, mystic embracing tradition while
and object of desire. challenging traditional roles
At 73, Acogny commands in West African society.
attention with a move- “I’m Christian, I’m Muslim
ment as simple as a turn of and I’m animist,” she said.
the wrist. A new film about Born in Benin, she was
her dance career, along raised in Senegal. She di-
with this solo piece cho- vorced her husband at 23
reographed just for her, are after refusing his request for
deepening her mark on the a second wife. To feed her
next generation of African two children, she opened
dancers. Legendary Senegalese dancer and choreographer Germain Acogny, 73, rehearses “Mon Elue a dance studio for young
“She’s like the lighthouse at Noire” on the stage at the Ecole des Sables in Toubab Diallaw, Senegal, Tuesday, May 23, 2017. girls.
the sea,” said Mohamed Y. With a new film about her work and this solo piece, choreographed just for her Acogny is inspiring From there, Senegal’s then-
Shika, a 28-year-old Egyp- the next generation of African dancers. President Leopold Sedar
tian dancer and one of her (AP Photo/Jane Hahn) Senghor and French-born
students. “You know when for, I think this is Mama Ger- old technique with young Dance is the mother of choreographer Maurice
you’re at sea and you maine.” artists from across the conti- all arts, she says. The new Bejart appointed her to di-
can’t see anything and you Acogny is best known for nent at L’Ecole des Sables, film about her career, “Iya rect the Mudra Afrique, a
see this light coming from fusing West African and French for the School of Tunde: The Mother Came school opened in 1977 to
so far, and this is the track modern dance. She has Sands, in a remote fishing Back,” was released in May train contemporary danc-
you should keep on going been sharing her decades- village in Senegal. as Dakar’s French Institute ers. q