I
am putting together a group to go to Ghana from July 16 - August 7, 2010. Below are some things
you can expect to experience during this trip. The trip
will cost $2,300 which includes:
2
week all inclusive stay at the Dagbe Cultural Center
2 hours of dance instruction per day
2 hours of drumming, basket weaving, batik, singing,
and/or kente weaving instruction per day
One performance at the Dagbe Center
3 meals per day
dorm style housing accommodations (2 twin beds per room)
1 day trip to see dance/drum performances.
1 dance performance at the Art Center in Accra
Hotel accommodations for the last week of travel
All transportation for 3 weeks of travel: to/from the airport,
beach, and market
Driver accessible for student use (on call 24/7)
Students
will be responsible for the cost of airfare ($1,700), the third week of food, passport/visa fees, vaccination
costs, costumes for the final performance, and historic
site entrance fees.
DAGBE
CULTURAL INSTITUTE AND ARTS CENTER: Since the inception
of the institute in 1982, musicians, professors, teachers,
and students from the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
have participated in teaching and learning programs.
Students and professors from the University
of North Texas, Bowling Green State University, the University
of Tennessee, Berklee College of Music, the University of
Wisconsin-Madison and Lawrence University as well as high
school teachers from Vermont and individual musicians and
students from various parts of the world have all participated
in our programs.
CLASSES: Classes at the institute run from 9-11 AM
and 4-6 PM. They are held in the performance
hall or under an open air shelter. Traditional drums
and western drumset are available for students and our teaching staff. There are many
supplies for teachers and students who wish to take additional
classes, including drum carving, drum making, basket weaving,
batik making, learning traditional songs, and kente
weaving. Children of the village can assist students
with their private practice during break period. Drumming
and dancing starts at the Centre from 7.00 A.M. till
8.00 P.M. when everybody is getting ready to go to bed.
There are many opportunities to rearrange classes coinciding with fieldwork, funerals, burial
ceremonies and other performances students
wish to see.
FOOD: For the first two weeks in Ghana at the Center, food
and an unlimited supply of bottled Voltic water will
be provided for each person. Guests have the option
of placing food requests, and vegetarians are very welcome;
there is an assortment of dishes to choose from. There
will be also a variety of Ghanaian dishes to enjoy.
THE
PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE AND THE VISITORS: Dagbe is located in the village of Kopeyia (population
about 3000). Kopeyia is a farming area where
many people speak both English and Ewe languages. Our
visitors are encouraged to learn some of the Ewe words
through interaction with the adult and child population.
The Kopeyia-Bloomfield School is the second institution
of Dagbe Institute and Arts Centre. This was also founded
by Mr. Godwin Agbeli and Robert Levin, an American tourist
from New York, USA and student of the
Dagbe Institute. A majority of the people in the village have natural skills in drumming, dancing and music. Their expertise is always at the disposal of the students at the institute.
FESTIVALS
OF KETU DISTRICT: Yeve
(Shango in Nigeria) and Godigbeza festivals, performed by the people of the Aflao traditional area, are
in August.
VISITS
TO FUNERALS, THE BEACH AND THE MARKETS:
FUNERALS: Funerals are celebrated in two phases: The
burial ceremonies, mini funeral and grand funeral. Students
and their teachers are always part of these celebrations.
BEACHES: A very clean beach on the
coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Denu is just
3 miles from Kopeyia. Dagbe Centre students
who know how to swim and those who want to relax between
classes and/or on the weekends are taken here.
MARKETS: The traditional cloth markets of various
printed and woven cloth are open to everyone
on different days of the week. Students also have the
rare opportunity to see beads and other traditional
wares being sold at the market.
PROCUREMENT
AND SHIPMENT OF TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: The Dagbe Institute is always careful when it comes
to the procurement of good and durable traditional musical
instruments for students who wish to purchase them. The
Centre assists with the shipment of instruments
to the student's destination, and can arrange shipment by CASH ON DELIVERY (COD).
