‘The Taste of Africa’ is a joyous immersion of West African culture presented by Australia’s leading African drum and dance company, Asanti Dance Theatre. Specifically designed for Australian schools and communities it combines world class performances with highly engaging workshops, making the experience fun, hands on and educational. The 2 hour program consists of 1 x 15 min high energy performance, 3 x 30 minute workshops in drumming, dance and village activities, 1 x 10 min interactive ‘jam’ and Q & A.

Asanti Dance Theatre are recognised world wide for their vibrant, engaging and inspiring performances. They have worked with students and communities of all ages and abilities from around the world. Lead by Appiah Annan (Sidney Myer Creative Fellow) they play, teach, perform and entertain leaving a long lasting impression that remains long after the workshops end.

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue, Outdoor
Technical Rating
D, The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
3
Considerations

This show is very flexible and we can work with you to adapt technical requirements. The show can be presented in anything from fully equipped theatres to outdoors.

Having wowed audiences at a variety of events including Woodford Folk Festival, the Australian Dance Awards, Sydney Opera House, and headlining New Years Eve at Federation Square, Asanti Dance Theatre are Australia’s leading African dance company.

Joined by international guest artists from their company in Ghana, the group specialise in traditional and contemporary African dance, music and acrobatics. The company display an extensive skill set that will leave you speechless. Undulating torsos, flips through rings of fire, raw energy, exhilarating dance moves and phenomenal acrobatics are just some of the elements you can expect from a performance by Asanti Dance Theatre.

Directed by Appiah Annan (Sidney Myer Creative fellow and internationally recognised dancer, choreographer and musician), the company have been working extensively in Melbourne over the past 7 years. With a sister company in Ghana the company have toured regionally, nationally and internationally and perform in a variety of contexts including festivals, schools, corporate, community events and full length theatre works.

Company Website
asantidancetheatre.com

Unique Selling Point

This show has toured regional Victoria 3 times and recently toured regional QLD. Audiences have been thrilled with the show, specifically with its high level of audience engagement, diversity and links to curriculum.

The performance showcases the strength and agility of the artists as they present a high energy, live set of West African music, dance and acrobatics. Following this the audience joins in the fun as they are guided through the 3 engaging and educational workshops.

The show is versatile and can be performed in a variety of settings including theatres, community halls and schools.

Marketing Materials

The show comes with the following resources; Education pack Images Profile - A4 double sided overview Audience quotes / feedback

Community Engagement

Taste of Africa has been so successful to date due to its high level of audience engagement. By combining performance and workshop elements, communities are enabled to participate in the activity rather then simply being observers.

The structure of the 2 hours has been designed in collaboration with Victorian artist and performing arts teacher, Belinda Annan. As a result Taste of Africa has been crafted to enable an engaging, supportive and inclusive session that is both educational and inspiring.

The session finishes with a Q&A allowing the community to ask questions and engage with the artists. In our experience people LOVE having the opportunity to ask all sorts of questions ranging from what its like growing up in Africa to where is home now. The Q&A opens up a space for dialogue and enables communities to engage directly with the artists. On top of this our artists are very personable and willing to spend time speaking with communities after the show.