Rakiya A.Muhammad
Many people dance for fun, but others see it as more. Faith Joseph, a dance enthusiast, finds dancing mentally liberating and physically refreshing.
“It helps me cope with stress by providing a safe space for emotional expression,” she shares. “Dance is a therapeutic tool that has improved my wellbeing and resilience.”
Faith and other enthusiasts are upbeat about efforts to make a difference in society through dance.
The ‘Dance 4 Impact’ is one example; it helped over a hundred young people develop marketable skills and produced inclusive performances for people with disabilities.
The initiative’s positive impact on young people and children in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) communities of Wumba, Saburi, Garki, Mpape, and the Abuja Association of the Deaf is impressive.
It includes expanding their knowledge and acceptance of dance, not only as a form of entertainment but also as a powerful tool for social change, building self-confidence, and providing viable employment opportunities.
Jemima Angulu, the founder, director, and choreographer at Krumo Studios, initiated the Dance 4 Impact project with funding from the United States Mission in Nigeria in partnership with the Battery Dance Company, New York.
The project trained 101 dancers of all levels from five Abuja-based artistic companies through the Dancing to Connect workshop, to conduct outreach projects in FCT communities: Wumba, Saburi, Garki Village, Mpape, and the Abuja Association of the Deaf.
Capital Dancers, EhmikhidArt Foundation (Mpape Community), Heart Heartists (Saburi Community), Tru Dance Art (Garki Village), Bravehearts Academy (Abuja Association for the Deaf), and Krump Studios (Wumba Community), with core teams of 20 each, gained creative and soft skills to help them improve their communication abilities, self-esteem, and employability.
Among them, Johnny Godsgift and Chizorom Abasi, both artists, organized an inclusive workshop that involved 20 individuals with hearing impairments.
The workshop, which built the capacity of performers in sign language, also resulted in an inclusive performance that attracted 95 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the FCT, increasing visibility for the community members.
“The goal is to train dancers and youth to use the tool of dance for community impact,” says Jemima Angulu.
“We are working with some of these artistic groups because they are already passionate about community progress and impact. So, we decided to empower the team heads to do what they do best.”
She elaborates on the initiative that enhanced the skills of over 164 community youths in dance, craft, and business in the five communities and engaged over 1,336 individuals as dance audiences and performers.
“We equipped them with skills and gave them experience to add value to their communities, empowering them to make a positive change.”
The program also focused on promoting health and wellbeing with its medical outreach serving 166 individuals, including 48 in Saburi, 55 in Garki village, and 63 in the Wumba community.
Additionally, the Dance 4 Impact initiative raised funds to support the education of 11 children in Mpape and provided apparel items to 68 women, men, and children in the Saburi and Mpape communities.
Danse Afrikana is another program that has earned recognition for bringing young people together to appreciate African culture and distinguish between dancing as an art form and dancing for fun.
Schoolchildren participate in an exciting dance contest at the festival, which Seun Awobajp, chairperson of the Guild of Theatre Art Drummers of Nigeria in Lagos State, describes as enlightening and instructive.
Danse Afrikana’s chief executive, Mr. Aremo Babayemi, provides more context for the festival’s goals.
“We established the festival to promote the practice of African dances with the objective of exposing children and youth to our traditional dances in a manner that will make them proud of their past and prepare them towards a greater and better future,” he explains.
“It provides an opportunity and a platform for the children to participate in an extracurricular activity that can enhance their learning experience and contribute to making them well-rounded adults.”
