In the different countries of Africa, dance accompanies all rites of passage: births, baptisms, circumcisions, weddings, funerals… Dance is a means for transmitting traditions, the history of regions and peoples. The traditional dances of Africa are an essential part of its non-material cultural heritage, they are the living expression of beliefs and carry the memory of the evolution of its cultures.
Today, dance also responds to a new demand coming from modern civil society.
The dances of West Africa have gained an international visibility through social media, television and musicals. They are now perfomed as an art form that occurs both in villages and in the city as well as on national and international stages. In addition, the dances are taught on all continents of the world in both studio and university courses. And yet, the transmission of dances in an institution is rare in West Africa itself.