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Nani gives hour long assemblies where he performs drumming and dancing for approximately 20-30 minutes and gives a brief lecture on the dances from his culture. The remaining time is for audience participation.
Nani gives workshops in drum, dance, and batik making and can come in over the course of several weeks. He has worked with all age groups. For example, he can come in once a week for 5 weeks and work with a class of 15-20 students. Each workshop is approximately 40-50 minutes long, and learning one specific dance usually takes about 5 weeks.
Nani gives one to two week-long programs, coming in daily for the length of your school day. In each class, he gives a presentation about life in Ghana. He has a 35 minute video made in Ghana with clips he shows and discusses. Classes include drumming, dancing, and optional batik making (materials cost extra).
The following are some of the dances that can be taught or performed in a workshop. Groups can focus on learning just dance, just drumming, learning just the songs that accompany the dance or any combination of these. The entire workshop can be spent on one dance, or a variety of dances can be introduced from the various regions of Ghana. Nani is happy to develop a unique program for your group.
Atsiagbekor is among the oldest traditional dances of the Ewe-speaking people of Southern Ghana and Benin. Originally a war dance performed after battle when the warriors returned to the village, it is now performed on many social occasions. One of the outstanding features of the dance is the interaction between the master drummer and the dancers. Every rhythmic theme played on the master drum has a corresponding sequence of dance movements which is timed to precisely match the drum language.
Sikyi is recreational music and dance of the Ashanti from the Eastern Region of Ghana. It originated in the 1920s. Sikyi is seen principally at social gatherings where the youth express themselves in courtship.
Bawaa is one of the oldest traditional dances of the Dagaare speaking people of the Upper West Region of Ghana. Bawaa is a ritual and ceremonial dance performed to celebrate the beginning and end of the rainy season, good harvest, New Year and other social events.
Batik is both an art and a craft method of dying fabric. In Batik, some areas of the fabric are covered with wax or pastes made of glues or starches. The fabric is then dyed and the areas that have been covered do not allow dyes to penetrate creating patterned areas. Multicolored and blended effects are obtained by repeating the dying process several times, with the initial pattern of wax boiled off and another design applied before dying again in a new color. Indonesia is famous for its batiks.
For a batik workshop, each student will be given a half yard of 100% cotton fabric. After a demonstration of the batik methods, each student will design his/her cloth with a patterned wood block or a T-janting pen (a hot wax pen). The number of dyes used in batik can vary; I recommend two dyes for beginners.
These are general ideas of services that Nani Agbeli has given before. He is happy to create a unique program with your school, organization or church in mind. Please feel free to contact him with any questions.
Professor David Locke, Tufts University, Boston, MA
david.locke@tufts.edu
Joe Galeota, Berklee College of Music
jgaleota@berklee.edu
Anne Pryor, Ph.D. Folk and Traditional Arts Specialist. Wisconsin Arts Board
Madison, WI (608) 266-8106, Anne.Pryor@Wisconsin.gov
Julie Petit, Teacher at Hoover Elementary, Appleton, WI
(920) 751-6960, jpetit@neenah.k12.wi.us
Sarah LeDuc Music teacher at Mendota Elementary School Madison, WI
(608) 204-7887, sbleduc@madison.k12.wi.us
Roberta Bobbie Schmidt, Principal at Richmond Elementary School, Appleton, WI
(920) 832-6290, schmidtroberta@aasd.k12.wi.us
Shawn McMahon, Crestwood Elementary School, Madison, WI
(608) 204-1148, swebermcmaho@madison.k12.wi.us
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