16th May, 2019
Award winning Dancer, Kafayat Shafau-Ameh ‘Kaffy’ has unveiled the 2019 edition of her international dance workshop and conference (TDWC2019) hosted for the first time in Lagos.
Kaffy released details of the anticipated event at a media parley held within the premises of her newly opened world class dance and fitness studio which also serves as her corporate office.
Speaking to newsmen at the media parley, Kaffy explained that the Dance Workshop and conference (which in the last two years has become a catalyst in the entertainment industry as it was geared to make a huge impact on the dance community in Nigeria and Africa as a whole) is to inspire, train and mentor dancers in the art and business of dance, and on how to establish a profitable career within the entertainment industry.
She added that the project fuses dance with entrepreneurship and cultural exchange to provide a well-rounded educational experience for professional dancers in Africa; as well as establish the need for structure and discipline required to pursue a career in the performing arts and the entertainment industry.
Kaffy reeled out a long list of keynote speakers and instructors expected from all over the world such as Zenith Bank MD; Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Ooni of Ife; HRM Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, US Consular General; Mr. F. John Bray, the world acclaimed Creative Director for Beyonce and Destiny’s child; Frank Gatson, Mrs. Kay Ovia, Transcorp MD; Mr. Valentine Ozigbo.
Workshop teachers include Marcus Cobb from the US, DanceFikshun, Jusbmore, Dancegod Lloyd Ghana, Courtnae Paul, Sino Dinuywa from South Africa, Kwame Kideyez Osei from Germany, Ice Nweke and other top dance professionals and professors from Nigeria.
The event is the brainchild of Kaffy Incorporated (Imagneto Dance Company) in partnership with Landmark Event center and Q21 solutions, while Star Rising Children’s Educational Initiative, Zenith bank, and Reddington Hospitals are listed as platinum sponsors.
Responding to questions about the entertainment industry in Nigeria, Kaffy lamented the stereotype that has branded all similar Afro Hip-Hop music forms in Nigeria as ‘Afrobeat’, she said; “African Music is African Music. Afrobeat is Fela’s type of music and should not be generalized as the whole Genre of any kind of music that comes out from Nigeria.
Kaffy laments wrong labeling of music genre in Nigeria, says “Afrobeat belongs to Fela”
She advocates for return to cultural dance forms, says “shaku shaku is good, atilogwu, bata better”.
“I think it’s a wrong way of generalizing our music. African Music is African Music We can’t call the likes of Victor Owaifo , Sir Shina Peters, Chief Osadebe’s kind of music ‘Afrobeat’ just because it originated from here, it’s different from Afrobeat and we should not generalize ‘Afrobeat’ as our sound; rather its Fela’s sound and we must protect it at all cost”.
The Dance specialist also talked about the dominance of various dance forms not rooted in African culture, describing it as a sad departure from our roots, saying that the popular dance forms like Alanta, Shoki, Shaku Shaku, and Zanku have gradually taken focus away from original dance forms like the Bata, Atilogu and other true African dance forms that are embedded in our history and culture as a people.
Schedule for the workshop and conference as given by Kaffy shows that The TDWC Africa holds for 3 full days, starting with
The Dance Trade Fair which runs concurrently, from 9am – 11pm while the Conference starts from 9am to 1pm. Workshop starts from 2pm to 6pm and this runs for 3days.
Subsequently, in the evenings are social gatherings referred to as ‘Special Nights’ for the 3days from 7pm – 11pm.
The conference is free; the workshop is at a cost of N5,000 to participate in the various breakout masterclass sessions with panelists and teachers, while the evening event tagged the ‘Afroburlesque Night’ attracts a fee of N3,000.
Intending participants are encouraged to register at the www.tdwcafrica.com as spaces are limited.