I had attended a few dance events this year but never thought I would be having my own Afro Dance event, or at least I thought maybe it would happen in a few years time. Though it took me awhile to decide after one of my dear students nudged me to have one, I realized my intentions for this event.
Firstly, it was aligned with my brand values of DANCE, CONNECT, PUSH BOUNDARIES, and especially CONNECT, as though it is about connection with each other and with yourself, it is also about connection to Africa. I had the honour of visiting Africa twice and the privilege of attending multiple African Dance Classes, and I cannot even begin to explain the energy I feel in those classes and I am so excited for you to experience that here in Singapore with Kay and Chiluba.
Secondly, it was about bringing the different dance communities together, the Kizomba community, the dance choreography community and of course the AWJ community. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful and has definitely made me feel like I am not alone in this, which I am very grateful for.
Last but not least, as much as it is also about brand visibility and credibility for me and the dancers, on a personal level, this was pushing my boundaries and I was curious to see what I could do with it. I do have those fears and sometimes those sleepless nights where I am like wait, am I doing things right? What more do I need to do? Is everything going to be ok? Are people going to show up? So yes, those fears are still there, but I know I needed to still do this anyway.
So thank you for joining me on this journey so far and I am looking forward to seeing you in my classes and at the event.
About the dancers coming to Singapore
CHILUBA - I had the privilege to attend his classes, learn more about the moves and genres from Kenya as well as from other parts of Africa, when I was in Nairobi last month. Chiluba was always willing to share his knowledge and expertise and it was also nice to get to know him as a person outside the dance studio as he showed me around his hometown. His vision, dreams, goals for the dance and music industry were so inspiring and I just cannot wait for you to experience his energy and magic.
Born and raised in Nairobi (Kenya), Chiluba became interested in dance and started his dance adventure at his local church. Most of his dancing is self-taught by watching music videos. His move to form a dance crew in his third year of high school marked the beginning of his journey as a professional dancer and choreographer. Due to music video and commercial filming jobs, Chiluba was in many film production sets which made him develop an interest in creative direction, something he took up seriously in 2019.
In 2016 he won the ‘Best Choreographer Award’ in the Mzuka Africa Dance Awards, after which he did a Europe Dance Tour transforming him from a local to an international dancer/choreographer.
KAY - More popularly known as The People's Dancer, Kay is a South African dancer/choreographer who is currently based in China. He continues to spread the South African culture with pride, seeking to enlighten people from all walks of life, about the beautiful culture he was born into. Some of Kay's achievements include being featured in Sho Madjozi's music video for her hit song "Huku" in 2018 and being the top 10 finalists in the University of Johannesburg "So you think you can dance" competition in 2015.
Though I did not get the opportunity to meet and dance with Kay in person, his passion and energy through the screens have been infectious! I can’t wait for all of us to dive deeper into Amapiano with him.
It's going to be 6 hours of exhilarating energy with these incredibly talented dancers and definitely an event you do not want to miss!
Here is the booking link - https://tinyurl.com/euy8hcnx