Keigwin & Company’s visit to Ethiopia was organized by DanceMotion U.S.A., a U.S. Department of State program that sends American dancers around the world to build cultural ties.
ADDIS ABABA (News24)–There’s a new way of doing diplomacy in Ethiopia’s capital, one that forsakes communiques and speeches in favor of music, sweat and bare feet.
A troupe of New York-based dancers arrived in the capital Addis Ababa earlier this month to boogie their way to closer ties between the United States and Ethiopia, a major East African economy and counterterrorism partner for Washington.
The nine dancers from Keigwin & Company are professionals used to working in one of the world’s most competitive showbiz markets, but that didn’t prepare them for the frenetic and traditional manner of Ethiopian movement.
“It’s like learning how to dance again,” said Keigwin dancer Kacie Boblitt after the Americans participated in an hours-long dance workshop with their Ethiopian counterparts.
Keigwin’s visit to Ethiopia was part of a three-country tour with stops in Ivory Coast and Tunisia organized by DanceMotion USA, a US Department of State program that sends American dancers around the world to build cultural ties.
“They connect with their colleagues in dance and that brings the countries together in a way diplomats can’t,” said David Kennedy, counselor for public affairs at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Dance is an integral part not just of nightlife in Ethiopia, but also traditional gatherings and religious festivals.
Ethiopians are known for their unique movement style called eskista, which involves gyrations and sharp upper-body movements to the beat of a drum.
“Culturally, here, they dance everywhere. They’re just not at all precious about it,” said Keigwin production manager Randi Rivera.
The Americans, by contrast, are used to spacious, well-demarcated practice spaces and meticulous choreography.
Keigwin & Company: ‘We speak the same language’
When four Keigwin dancers convened with a group of more than two dozen Ethiopian professionals for a workshop held in a warehouse-turned-dance studio, the participants had little more in common than their shared love of dance.
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