TOUBAB DIALAO – Over the weekend, the small fishing village of Toubab Dialao in Senegal became a vibrant hub for contemporary African dance. Twenty-five dance companies from various African countries came together for the African Dance Biennial, the largest event of its kind on the continent.
Dancers clad in bright oranges, greens, and blues performed dynamic routines, stomping, leaping, and even collapsing in the warm sand. This annual event, which has been showcasing the richness of African dance since 1997, recently took place at the École des Sables, or School of Sands, just an hour away from the capital city of Dakar.
The African Dance Biennial aims to highlight the innovative choreographic work being produced across Africa. In 2023, the event was previously held in Maputo, Mozambique, and has now returned to its roots in Senegal.
The École des Sables has become a significant institution in the dance world, founded in 1998 by Germaine Acogny, who is often referred to as the mother of African contemporary dance. Her open-air sand studio reflects her philosophy of connecting dance with nature, attracting dancers from around the world for intensive courses that combine traditional West African styles with contemporary techniques.
Recently, the school gained international fame for its groundbreaking African production of Pina Bausch’s “The Rite of Spring,” which has toured globally from 2021 to 2025.
However, the future of the École des Sables is uncertain. A billion-dollar deep water port project by Dubai Ports World is currently under construction south of the village, threatening to expropriate land that the school acquired to preserve its natural surroundings and ecosystem.
In response to this looming threat, local arts institutions have banded together to resist the development, advocating for the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage.
___
This version corrects the company name to Dubai Ports World.
