Introduction to Azonto Dance

The Azonto dance is mostly created and performed by deprived youth in Ghana primarily for entertainment, but also as commentary on the socio-politico-economic conditions of the country at large. Azonto reinscribes Ghanaian traditional dance and other ‘foreign’ dance movements to address issues affecting young people in contemporary times. In this practical workshop, participants will be taken through some basic to intermediate Azonto dance moves. 

Benedictus Mattson is a dance practitioner and researcher with interest in Ghanaian popular dances. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Ghana. He is currently a Cultural Studies PhD candidate at Queen’s University where he investigates the mediatization of Ghanaian popular dance with primary focus on the Azonto dance’s presence on Instagram and how dancers’ interactions with/on the social media platform help to transform, configure, and reconfigure the dance.