TOUBAB DIALAO, Senegal – A small fishing village in Senegal transformed into a vibrant stage this weekend as 25 dance troupes from throughout Africa gathered for the African Dance Biennial, the continent’s premier contemporary dance celebration.
Performers dressed in brilliant oranges, greens and blues moved across the sandy grounds of Toubab Dialao, located one hour from Senegal’s capital city of Dakar, with dramatic leaps, stomps and graceful collapses into the earth.
Established in 1997, this major dance festival has traveled to various African cities for nearly 30 years – with its most recent stop in Maputo, Mozambique in 2023 – working to spotlight choreographic artistry throughout the continent.
The weekend celebration, which wrapped up Sunday evening, took place at the École des Sables, known in English as the School of Sands, located in Toubab Diallo.
This institution has emerged as Africa’s leading professional dance training center in recent years. Germaine Acogny established the school in 1998, earning recognition as the pioneering figure of African contemporary dance. The school’s signature outdoor sand studio reflects Acogny’s philosophy of connecting with nature, attracting dancers from numerous countries for intensive training that combines her unique contemporary methods with traditional West African movements and Black modern dance forms.
The École des Sables received worldwide recognition recently as the location for the first African staging of Pina Bausch’s “The Rite of Spring,” which traveled internationally from 2021 through 2025.
However, the festival occurs during a challenging period for the school. A massive deep water port development valued at one billion dollars, managed by Dubai Port World and currently under construction south of the fishing community, poses a threat to nearby properties through potential land seizure, including areas the school purchased to preserve its natural surroundings. Local arts organizations have joined together in an association to oppose this development.
