L e g e n d s

ADX 2022 Festival

The Afro Dance Xplosion festival, celebrates dance forms from Africa and its Diaspora.  We bring together the best of dance, with both homegrown and international artists.  The weekend kicks off with a unique showcase, featuring a stunning collaboration of choreographers and artists.  ADX 2022 - Legends is a celebration of legendary pioneers of African Diasporic dance in Showcases, workshops and discussions. 

The ADX festival is a great way to celebrate Black History month by attending an exciting display of dance and music in the African Diaspora, by learning about dance and music in the diaspora and how these styles are heavily influenced by the rich culture and traditions still celebrated on the Continent of Africa. Come celebrate, by finding your groove with a choice of workshops from Traditional African dance to Dancehall and everything in between.

ADX 2022 - Legends, celebrates, Rose Marie Guiraud - The Ivory Coast, Jackie Guy - Jamaica/UK, Leonora Stapleton - UK/USA, and Dr. Kariamu Welsh - USA.

Weekend Workshop Package: Standard: £110 / Concessions £95

One Day Pass: Standard £60 / Concessions £50

Come experience the legacy left by these legendary pioneers in Africa and the African Diaspora in the fantastic workshops being taught in this years edition of ADX - 2022 - Legends.   These classes are appropriate for dancers with a minimum of 6 months of dance training. Dancers must be a minimum of 16 years old.  

Getting the Festival Weekend Workshop package or the one Day Pass  will ensure that you get your choices as individual classes will not be available until right before the festival!  

Spaces are limited!!

Classes/workshops will include:

Saturday: 22nd October 2022

- Registration: 10:45 - 11:00

- Contemporary African Dance from the Ivory Coast with Louis Pierre Yonsian: with Drums @  11:00 to 12:30 / Standard £18 / Concessions: £16  

- Afro House with Danzel Thompson-Stout: with music @ 12:45 to 2:15pm / Standard £16 / Concessions £14

- Afro Caribbean Dance with Caroline Muraldo and Paradigmz with drums @ 2:30pm to 4:30pm / Standard £30 / Concessions £25

Sunday: 23rd October 2022

- Registration: 10:45 to 11:00

- Umfundalai Technique: Contemporary African Dance with Dr C. Kemal Nance: with  Drums @ 11:00 to 12:30 / Standard £18 / Concessions: £16 

- Jamaican Dance Hall with Chucky with Music @ 12:45 to 2:15pm / Standard £16 / Concessions £14

- Traditional African Dance from the Ivory Coast with Louis Pierre Yonsian: with  Drums  @ 2:30pm to 4:30pm / Standard £30 / Concessions £25

- Panel Discussion and closing: 4:45pm to 5:45pm / No Charge (Open to all attendees of the festival)Workshops: (proof of ticket required)

Originally from Ivory Coast, Louis Pierre pursues with passion and talent his career of choreographer, artistic interpreter and teacher. 

A graduate of Edec (école de danse et d’échanges culturels (School of Dance and Cultural Exchanges by the choreographer Rose Marie Guiraud) in Ivory Coast where he was trained in traditional and contemporary African dance, Afro jazz and Western modern dance. 

He obtained several first prizes from 1987 to 1996 in Ivory Coast either as a dancer or choreographer. 

His artistic talents lead him quickly to France and Europe where he came across numerous companies he has worked with since 1997, before joining the company Georges Momboye, that offered him a few of his best roles that promoted his special style filled with dexterity and grace. 

He regularly helped Georges Momboye as assistant choreographer and coach (for the shows Adjaya and recently for the event in Germany called “Summer Night” that brought together more than 100 artists (dancers and musicians). 

Louis Pierre also has taught at the Centre de dance Momboye, and teaches numerous courses in France and abroad (Switzerland, Mali, Italy, UK etc.) 

Contemporary African Dance (Cote d’Ivoire/The Ivory Coast) Description:

The Afro-contemporary covers a very diverse reality, since this dance leaves room for creativity and the multiple influences. The technique Georges Momboye contemporary African dance, proposes to explore the movement danced through traditional African gesture to open it and take ownership of the contemporary world.

The technique Momboye is based on the action and philosophy:- Take : Interpellate, Loving, consider conquer Catching Decide aways- Give: Assign, Give, Give, Hand, Manufacturing, Forward, Free- To receive : Welcome, Accept, Contain, Host, Inherit, Receive Harvest

The Momboye technique offers different, new, gestural, colourful and nuanced that make you travel the roots of Africa to modernity. The intention is to understand the action, the concept and philosophy of the word: Take Giving and Receiving so that everyone becomes author of his own sign.

Traditional African Dance from the Ivory Coast Description:  

The traditional African Dance workshop from the Ivory Coast will include learning several of the traditional rhythms from the rich culture of the Ivory Coast.  Come enjoy this traditional class with one of the maestros of Ivorian Dance in Europe..  This workshop will be accompanied with live music.

Caroline Muraldo BA (Hons) MA is an experienced professional dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, dance event organiser, seamstress and costume designer also having worked as a singer and actress. She holds two degrees in dance studies and has started working towards her Ph.D. also in dance studies. She has worked with most of the renowned British based exponents of African and African-Caribbean dance forms. Caroline is also the artistic director of the Christian dance company Muraldo D.C formed in 1999. The company performs traditional dances from both Africa and the Caribbean in addition to a wide range of dance pieces based on biblical truths. 

Afro Caribbean Dance Workshop Description:

This class will an eye opening exploration of the traditional Jamaican dance forms from which Dance Hall grew and developed, paying tribute to what came before.

Chucky is a member of the award winning, ambitious and professional entertainment group Xqlusiv dancecrew. FreeFlow Dancehall is the name given to their style of dance. It's about feeling free in an environment of high energy and good vibes. A magical fusion of old and new school dancehall* mixed with afrocentric moves (KUMINA REVIVAL BRUCKINGS AND JONKUNNU).  Winning awards such as the JCDC WORLD REGGAE DANC  CHAMPION, SHIRKFC SKANKAZ and  INTERNATIONAL REGGAE AND WORLD MUSIC AWARDS (IRAWMA). Creators of popular dance move FreeFlow Popsikkle Chillzone Unknown feeling and All about the feeling, just to name a few.
 

Chucky is an ambitious, versatile and  professional entertainer dedicated to his craft.
 Hardworking and very passionate. Somewhat Of a perfectionist. His love and natural creative skills continues to attract dancehall lovers globally who sought to learn the numerous dance moves created by him and his team.

DanceHall Workshop Description:

Welcome to Dancehall Masterclass. 

Let’s time travel! Dancehall was created under an umbrella with reggae, ska, and rocksteady from the 70s to the 90s and was so crucial to the way the style developed into what dancehall is today.

In class, we will acknowledge those who paved the way for dancehall, like Mr. Bogle, Beenie Man & Elephant Man and shine light on the ones bringing us forward to a new era of Dancehall such as Ding Dong & LaaLee, Pata Skeng just to name a few.

Class will be in 4 sections. Starting with a warmup to find your grove, move across and around the space to create a vibe, in center we build the energy then finally put everything together with choreography fusing every era of dancehall.

Let’s get started!