African Dance Workshop

Salam! Labas 3likum?

Today our Rabat L&C students participated in an African dance workshop. The workshop took place at an association that supports refugees in Morocco. The association is the largest of its kind in Morocco and it runs with the help of the UNHCR, Amnesty International and many more organizations. Many refugees come to Morocco from Congo, Mali, Sierra Leone, and many other countries just to name a few, searching for a better life or looking for a way to reach Europe by sea.

The workshop was led by a refugee from the Congo, who has lived in Morocco for a couple of years. He came to Morocco to get to Europe but instead stayed in Morocco due to how dangerous the journey to Europe is. Morocco is his new home, but he still struggles to be accepted by locals, and he said this is a common experience for all refugees not just in Morocco but worldwide. He and many other refugees have greatly benefited from the work of the association because they provide refugees with classes, workshops and essential help for them to transition into Moroccan life.

The dance routine students learned had both East and West African influences, with many different dance techniques. Students were divided into two groups and each group learned different parts of the dance routine so they could eventually come together to dance the entire dance routine together. Both groups learned the dance routine step by step (or shwiya b shwiya) and made it their own, while dancing to the beat of drums. At the end students had the chance to show off their dance skills, while all students stood in a circle.

PL Andi