The big five

In Africa, there is something called “The Big Five,” a term hunting enthusiasts use to identify the five most difficult and dangerous species to hunt. These are the lion, the leopard, the black rhino, the elephant, and the kaffir buffalo.

These species are also recognized as the most popular and the stars of African wildlife and safaris; how not compare them with five great dancers of this continent. They have done their thing to reach the top, breaking through stereotypes, showing their talent to everyone, and becoming great influencers in Africa and the rest of the world.

Lauren Anderson:

“I always say: What makes you different is that you are authentically yourself. One can learn to do something, work very hard, and become very good at it, right? However, what makes you different is your essence. So if you can be your authentic self, you will stand out from anybody else because you are unique”.

Michaela DePrince:

“Concentrate on living in the moment. It is great to set a goal for the future. However, it is more important to focus on the incredible beauty surrounding you and inspiring you in the present. It is really about seeing the power of now and being at peace with yourself. We all have flaws, embrace them and accept them because they make you special.”

Germaine Acogny:

“We think about the future all the time, but it is also important to build on the past. Not just to see what happened, but to make sure we do not forget it. It is about acknowledging your roots. When I speak to young people, I find that we must work through forgiveness and not forget. I often ask people what they can give to others, which leads them to think about their roots. They think about where they are going and where they come from: their cultural, physical, and philosophical identities. If you can learn to be okay with your identity, you can be in harmony with yourself and others. If you do not accept them, that is when you struggle”.

Katherine Dunham:

“I was shocked by the fact that in our society we do not pay attention to what is essencial in life. The simplest and most commom things like birth, marriage and death, those things are the main things that a primitive society would have”

Janet Collins:

“We knew very well how black people were treated, but we did not bow to that treatment. I did not know how to overcome inferiority. We had to overcome arrogance”

These women have on thing in commom, they are all connected by the same roots, those of a contradict country, but with a great spiritual force. For all of them, dancing was and still is a way of connection and intimacy with themselves, it is a form of communication and self expression. In Africa what words do not speak, dance does. Afro dance has been another way of telling their history and preserving their culture.

A culture full of traditions and curiosities. Here are some of them:

• They celebrate their heritage Day every May 5th.
• They speak more than 1,500 different languages.
• There are more than 3,000 ethnic groups and tribes.
• Most of their dances are performed barefoot to reach the connection with the Earth, a fundamental element since it represents the ancestors and the origin of everything.
• The traditional Afro dance is related to life cycles and phases of life, that is why it is normal to see dancing at funerals, it is from there where the famous meme of the dance with the coffin, came out.

You can connect with their culture by performing this Afro Dance class by StepFlix. You will receive all the physical and mental benefits that practicing it brings.