••• THE DANCE CLASSES •••
MAIN CLASSES:
AFRO-HOUSE & TRADITIONAL MOZAMBICAN CLASSES
Throughout the two weeks we dance in total 20 classes with professional Mozambican dancers. Half of the classes are AFRO-HOUSE and the other half are MOZAMBICAN TRADITIONAL DANCES accompanied to live music. During the dance trip we we work only with first level dancers and put a high value on the quality of the classes. It is an open level and the teachers adjust to the group so that everyone will be challenged on their own level while enjoying, learning and having fun.
TASTER CLASSES:
LINDY HOP & MARRABENTA
During this trip we will also offer taster classes. These classes are open to any one who wants to participate, both for participants on the Dance Trip and for locals. It is an opportunity to try something new and to do it together with people from Mozambique, a learning and sharing experience. LINDY HOP will one of the dances that you will have the chance to learn the basics in during this trip. We will also offer a taster class in the Mozambican dance MARRABENTA.
AFRO-HOUSE
The Afro House is a mix of cool dances you find in the streets and night clubs of Mozambique and South Africa. The roots of many of the steps come from the mozambican traditional dances but you will also find many steps inspired from Pantsula, a dance style born in South Africa during Aparteid. You can also see steps from the Mozambican dance style Pandza with its fast tempos and influences from Ragga.
MOZAMBICAN TRADITIONAL DANCE
The Mozambican traditional dances are joyful and energetic, incorporating challenging footwork to fantastic rhythms from the southern parts of the African continent. The dances bring you happiness to both mind and body and challenge you physically with strong movements.
LINDY HOP
The history of Lindy Hop begins in the African American communities of Harlem, New York during the late 1920s in conjunction with swing jazz. It is a rhythmical and groovy couple dance, originally created to big band music in the Harlem ballrooms around the time of the depression. The dance form is based on a traditional lead- and follow structure, but opens up for an endless amount of improvisations and individual interpretations.
MARRABENTA
Mozambique was a Portuguese colony until 1975, when it gained its independence after a decade-long war. During the colonial period, the regime extended its influence to the arts and culture, demanding that only Portuguese music be played and danced to. Music therefore became a means of self-expression and conservation of cultural identity for many Mozambicans. Marrabenta was born in the late 1930s and became a music of struggle whose themes were inspired by the experiences of everyday life and love but also offered social criticism and commentary to major events that took place in Mozambique