I herited the dance from my grandfather and he herited it from his forefathers.
The spirit of Africa makes us dance and drum through us.
I’m dancing for myself, I’m dancing for the spirit and for the people to feel and enjoy the power.
Dance gives us the chance to express things that are beyond words.
The biggest part of my teaching experience originates from the period where I was the Dance Instructor of the Kusum Gboo Dance Ensemble from the year 1996 to the end of 2001. During that time I covered the following roles and areas of responsibility:
I also have a lot of experiences in teaching students (kindergarten to university graduate) and I trained deaf pupils of the Unit School For The Deaf in Koforidua, Ghana.
| 1985 | Starting with traditional drumming and dancing at the Willberforce Primary School at Kotobabi; taking part in performances and inter-schools-competitions |
| 1998 | Certificate in Artistic Performance, Greater Accra Regional Dance Association |
| 2013 | Certificate of Teaching in African Music & Dance, Center for National Culture, Volta Region, Ghana |
| 2014 | Certificate of Training as a Dance Instructor, Center for National Culture, Volta Region, Ghana |
| Certificate in African Music/Dance and Theatre Arts, University of Ghana |
| 1985 | Performing with the school troupe at Kotobabi Park |
| Performing at some broadcasting on Ghana Television called «Children's Own» (kids programme on Mondays) | |
| Performing at program called «Music Our Way» at Ghana Television | |
| Performing with the school troupe at the Art Center in Accra (now known as «Centre for National Culture») | |
| 1986 | Joining «People's Cultural Troupe» of Nima/Accra under the leadership of Mr. Alex Atus Hehealolo (founded 1979) |
| 1988-2001 | Countless performances with the «People's Cultural Troupe» (later changed to «Kusum Gboo Dance Ensemble», see below) - at times four to six performances per month - at different occations and locations: cultural events and festivals, social and touristic events (marriages, funerals, hotels, ...), official events (official receptions, embassies, Ghana National Trade Fair Center etc.) and national and international tours |
| 1991 | The group is changed into the «Kusum Gboo Dance Ensemble» («Kusum Gboo» means «Tradition never Dies») under the leadership of Richard Danquah. The ensemble has a repertory of over 50 traditional dances from Ghana and many other African countries and a number of choreographed pieces too. The ensemble aims to preserve the precious heritage of Africa's tradition for the future. |
| 1996 | Performance at the Centre for National Culture in Accra, Ghana |
| Performance at the Legon Drama Studio of the University of Ghana | |
| Performances at Northern Ghana and Burkina Faso; Research on traditional music an dance of those regions | |
| 1997 | Performance at the Panafest - 3rd Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival in Cape Coast, Ghana - showing groups from all over Africa and form the diaspora |
| 1999 | Performance at the Centre for National Culture in Accra on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Kusum Gboo Dance Ensemble |
| Performance at the Legon Drama Studio of the University of Ghana | |
| Performance at the Arrival of her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II of Britain | |
| Performing at Panafest - 4th Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival in Cape Coast, Ghana | |
| 2001 | Opening performance at the Official Opening Ceremony for the «Festival Mundial» at Conzertzaal in Tilburg, Netherlands |
| Mundial on Tour: 24 performances during a three weeks tour through the Netherlands at different locations | |
| Festival Munidal - Slotweekend: Final performances at the Leypark in Tillburg (Netherlands) with dozens of cultural groups from Africa, South America and Asia and well known artists form all over the world (Rokia Traore, Baaba Maal, Toumani Diabaté, Anouk, ...) in front of a huge audience of about 140'000 visitors | |
| Performing at Panafest & Emancipation Day - 5th Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival in Cape Coast, Ghana | |
| Official Launching of Kusum Gboo Dance Ensemble's album «Akrowase (Beyond the Village)» at the Golden |
| 1999 | Peforming with the National Dance Company as a guest dancer in the piece «Images of conflict» at National Theatre in Accra, Ghana, choreographed by Nii Yartey (Artistic Director of the National Dance Company) and Germaine Acogny (Senegal). The piece was created in a dynamic choregraphic process with the dancers who brought in their own impulses, ideas and styles. |
| 2000 | Opening ceremony of the «CAN 2000 - African Cup of Nations» between Ghana and Nigeria. Out off different Ghanaian dance groups I was selected as one of the dancers for that event. |