7 Folk Dances from the North West of Cameroon with Bobo Leennox and COYAC

Workshops run on Fridays from July 8th 20, 2022 to August 19, 2022 from 16:00 to 17:15

7 folk dances from different parts of the North West region of Cameroon. A diversity of cultural costumes, musical instruments and backgrounds. We will teach you about the steps but also the history and geopolitical context from the area. You will learn the dances with Bobo Leennox who is an artist and folkloric choreographer who grew up in a minority and marginalized community whose endeavor is to use arts and cultural to promote peace and harmonious co-existence within cultures. They will be done alongside other instructors and commentators such as Ngwa Peter Suh, Bakah Derick and Derick Danzer and other members of the Community Youth Arts Centre (COYAC).

This course is part of a project that aims to promote peace and unity in an area that has been suffering with the consequences of the territorial re-bordering after the second world war. The region requires such a project to promote peace, resilience and solidarity, and to inspire an already traumatised community. The seven different dances from the those areas that are still in conflict have more things in common than people imagine yet they each hold their own particularities.

The 7 dances include:

1. Bottle Dance from Bafouchu Clan in Mezam Division with Derick Danzer as instructor
2. Mbaya Dance from Nso Clan in Bui Division with Banana Joe and Derick Danzer as instructors
3. Ufweng Dance (Nyanga Dance) done by women of the Aghem Clan in Menchum Division.
4. Menang Dance from Bafut in Mezam Division with Ta Ntoh and Ngwa Peter Suh as instructors
5. Subi Juju Dance from Oku in Bui Division with Bakah Derick as instructor
6. Njang Dance or Mbagulum Dances from Kom Clan in Boyo Division and Mankon in Mezam Division respectively with Derick Danzer and Bobo Leennox as instructors.
7. Galena Dance from Bali in Mezam Division with Divine N. and Bobo Leennox as instructors.

The project is exactly about to bring integration of those different particularities to a sense of belonging and community therefore contributing to the social change in an area that has been the focus of historic conflict.