Culture

African Dance Biennial Transforms Senegal Village Amid Port Threat

Published

4 months ago

May 7, 2026

African Dance Biennial brings 25 companies to Senegal’s Toubab Dialao as École des Sables faces threats from a nearby port project

Twenty-five dance companies from across Africa gathered in the Senegalese coastal village of Toubab Dialao over the weekend for the African Dance Biennial, a major continental showcase of contemporary African choreography held at the École des Sables.

Also read: World Egungun Festival 2026 Opens With Scholarly Symposium in Ibadan

Dancers in vibrant costumes filled the sandy landscape, performing powerful routines that blended movement, rhythm, and storytelling in the sun-baked fishing village located about an hour from Dakar.

The African Dance Biennial, founded in 1997, rotates across African cities to promote contemporary choreographic expression on the continent. The most recent edition before Senegal was held in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2023.

This year’s three-day edition concluded on Sunday at the École des Sables, an internationally recognised dance institution founded in 1998 by Germaine Acogny, widely regarded as the pioneer of modern African dance.

The school is known for its open-air sand studio and its unique teaching philosophy, which blends Acogny’s contemporary technique with traditional West African and Black modern dance practices.

Over the years, the institution has attracted dancers from across the world and gained global recognition, particularly after hosting the first African production of Pina Bausch’s *The Rite of Spring*, which toured internationally between 2021 and 2025.

The festival unfolded against growing concerns over the future of the institution, as a major deep-water port project being developed nearby raises fears of land expropriation in the surrounding area.

The project, overseen by Dubai Ports World, has triggered concerns among local arts and cultural institutions, many of which fear displacement due to large-scale infrastructure expansion.

In response, several organisations in the area have formed an association to oppose aspects of the development, arguing that it could threaten the ecological and cultural integrity of the village.

Despite these tensions, the Biennial continued to highlight the resilience of African contemporary dance, with performances reflecting both artistic innovation and deep cultural heritage.

Also read: World Egungun Festival 2026 Opens With Scholarly Symposium in Ibadan

The event reaffirmed Toubab Dialao’s growing reputation as a symbolic hub for African dance, even as questions remain over how long its creative ecosystem can be sustained under mounting development pressure.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

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Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”