New ‘Azonto’ dance moves introduced to mark International Dance Day in Accra

The Ghana Dancers Association has launched some 11 creative ‘Azonto’ dance moves as part of activities to mark this year’s International Dance Day celebration in Accra.

Hundreds of dancers from all over Ghana thronged the Osu Oxford Street Mall on Sunday April, 29 to participate in the 3rd Annual ‘Azonto Dance Concert’, organised by Dancetera.

According to the CEO of Dancetera , Robert Klah 29th April is a day set aside to celebrate dance globally, hence the decision to participate in the global celebration here in Ghana and use the opportunity to introduce new dance moves.

“Since Ghana’s biggest contribution to the world dance syllabus is Azonto, International Dance Day is always the best time to celebrate it. This year, we are glad to use this platform to launch 11 new dance moves,” Robert Klah said.

He stated that the dance moves will showcase to the world the creativity of dancers in Ghana, and how much Azonto has grown over the years.

According to Robert Klah, although the existing Azonto moves had names, they were not officially known, and that has not been positive for the dance genre.

“From this year, when moves are created, they will be named, officially launched, with tutorials created to share with the rest of the world. And so, anyone looking to feed off the creativity of Ghanaian dancers is welcome.”

Some of the new Azonto moves introduced include, ‘Hammer Them’, ‘Precious Duade (Cassava)’, ‘Gadzola’, ‘Oj’, ‘Kupe’, ‘Akokor’, and ‘Akiti’ among others.

These dance moves, some of which have already gone viral, were demonstrated and used in choreographies on the night of the ‘Azonto Dance Concert’ at the Osu Oxford Street Mall..

Patrons present at the concert applauded the dancers throughout the night as they appreciated the dances moves.

The dance concert featured over 50 dance groups and was graced by dance enthusiasts such as Kobi Rana, Heroz Dance Crew, 4Bent, Team Alpha, Humble Stars, Rhock Stars, Xclusives, Zigi, Fakta, DFC, Loyce Entertainment from Ho, Allo Dancers from Kumasi, and many more.

The program was also used to announce the intent to make a dance movie which is to be launched during the Ghana Dance Festival 2018.

http://3news.com/new-azonto-dance-moves-introduced-to-mark-international-dance-day-in-accra/

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National Dance Company donates to Psychiatric Hospital

The National Dance Company (Ghana Dance Ensemble) on Wednesday marked International Dance Day with a donation and artistic performance for the inmates of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

The event, which was to entertain the inmates and foster a greater sense of belonging to the society, saw the dance ensemble entertain staff and patients with traditional music and dance.

The National Dance Company also presented items including clothes, shoes, boxes of soap, disinfectants and antiseptics, boxes of toothpaste and brushes.

The allure of watching the performance of the Ensemble proved to be too much for some of the enthused patients as they eventually deserted their seats and joined in the dancing.

Ms Beatrice Nyarko, a Principal Nursing Officer of the hospital, expressed gratitude to the Ghana Dance Company for organising the event.

“We are grateful to them for giving us something out of the ordinary because the routine here is to eat, sleep and take your medication,” she said.

Nii-Tete Yartey, Artistic Director of the National Dance Company, said the theme for this year’s International Dance Day: “Dance, a Relevant Tool for National Development”, was to highlight the importance of dance as a catalyst for socio-economic development, beyond its entertainment role.

He cited a study by Richard Powers, published in the England Journal of Medicine, which showed that dancing offer protection against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 76 per cent, compared to some other recreational activities.

International Dance Day, which is celebrated yearly on April 29, was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Council, a partner organisation of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.