WORKSHOPS
Explore dance styles of the AFRO DIASPORA and give space to inspiration, joy and creativity!
YENSA Festival, in partnership with Ballet Jörgen, invites you to participate in AFRICA VIBES, a series of dance workshops with US guest artist Imania Fatima Detry!
AFRICA VIBES is a one-week dance intensive we can’t wait for you to experience!
Each workshop throughout the week offers a different experience.
Imania will be sharing her knowledge of West African dances from Guinea and Senegal (Sabar) and Afrobeat (mixed with West African street style & Chicago Footwork)
All workshops will take place at George Brown College, Casa Loma Campus, 160 Kendal Avenue, Building C.
Register below!
April 17-23
AFRICA VIBES with Imania Fatima Detry
$18 – Single Workshop
$35 – *Saturday Weekend Intensive (**drum + two dance workshops)
$35 – *Sunday Weekend Intensive (two dance workshops + Atsia Circle + talk back with guest artists)
*The weekend intensive fee doesn’t change whether you can participate to one or all workshops.
**Bring your own djembe for the drum workshop.
APRIL 22
11 45am – 1 45pm
West African Drum Workshop with Idris Daniel of Muntu Dance theatre ~ all levels
2 – 3 30pm
African Dance (Guinea) ~ all levels
4 – 5 30pm
African Dance (Sabar, Senegal) ~ all levels
APRIL 23
2 – 3 30pm
Afrobeat ~ All levels
4 – 5 30pm
African Dance (Guinea) ~ All levels
5 30pm – 6 30pm
Atsia circle – a short dance and drum celebration – followed by an insightful talk-back with our guest artists
IMANIA FATIMA DETRY is a Chicago-born and bred performing and teaching artist with a focus in West African Dance. With over 20 years of professional training and performance with Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago as a principle artist and as the founding Member and assistant artistic director of Ayodele Drum and Dance, she truly enjoys and works in the efforts to preserve African dance and culture as well as share her current experiences and style in her teaching and performing! She has worked with artists such as Chance the Rapper, Fatima Robinson, Fox Productions, and more. Imania has expanded her choreography with fusion styles that include: Djembe and Dundun Dance, Sabar, House, Chicago Footwork and Afrobeat.
Follow Imania on Instagram: @imaniafatima
IDRIS DANIEL is an accomplished drummer and dancer born into a vibrant arts community on Chicago’s southside. He developed a love for many styles of African diasporic performing arts at a young age.
Currently, he serves as the Associate Artistic Director of Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. Over the last 20 years, Idris has expanded his studies of various traditional music forms throughout the African diaspora. Idris travels to Brazil, Senegal, Gambia, Colombia, Cuba, Barbados, and Mexico frequently to train, study, and continuously immerse himself in the culture. He desires to educate and enlighten children in the Chicago inner-city by exposing them to the many contributions that people of the African diaspora have made to the world through dance, music, and other art forms.