About Ecole des Sables
The founders, Germaine Acogny and Helmut Vogt, founded the Jant-Bi Association in 1994. In 1996, they laid the foundation stone of the École des Sables de Toubab Dialaw, Senegal, a small fishing village 50 km south of Dakar. After 6 years of construction, the Centre was inaugurated in June 2004. It is a real dance village with its two dance studios of 400 m2 and 280 m2, its conference room, 24 bungalows as accommodation, its own restaurant, kitchen and offices, spread over 4.5 hectares of land, whose architecture is adapted to the environment.





In 2019, École des Sables makes history by collaborating with the Pina Bausch Foundation to give birth to 2 wonderful projects: a duet with Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo (former soloist of the Pina Bausch company) and the transmission of the Rite of Spring by Pina Bausch to a group of 38 dancers from the African continent, many of whom trained at École des Sables.
A New beginning
In the beginning of September 2020, the Founders Germaine Acogny and Helmut Vogt made the decision to hand over the role of Artistic Direction and custodian of the Ecole des Sables to two of its trusted Alumni. They both know École des Sables well and are holders of the Acogny Technique Diploma.
They are artists who continue to prove themselves in their careers as dancers, choreographers, young artistic leaders who are ready to put their energy, enthusiasm, creativity and commitment into their new mission. To see Ecole des Sables and its entire team even bigger, stronger and driven by excellence.
École des Sables welcome Alesandra Seutin and Wesley Ruzibiza to the Ecole des Sables team. They will be working in a team with Paul Sagne, who has been working and evolving within Ecole des Sables for the last 15 years and who has now been appointed Administrative Director.