Twenty-five dance companies from across Africa gathered in Senegal over the weekend for the African Dance Biennial, the continent’s biggest celebration of contemporary African dance.
The event took place in the coastal fishing village of Toubab Dialao, located about an hour from Dakar. Dancers dressed in vibrant orange, green and blue costumes delivered energetic performances on the sandy open-air stage, captivating audiences with expressive choreography rooted in African traditions and modern dance styles.
Established in 1997, the African Dance Biennial has rotated across different African cities for nearly three decades, promoting contemporary African choreography and giving visibility to dance talent across the continent. The previous edition was hosted in Maputo in 2023.
This year’s three-day festival was hosted at École des Sables, widely recognised as Africa’s leading professional dance training institution. Founded in 1998 by Germaine Acogny, often referred to as the mother of African contemporary dance, the school has become a major hub for dancers from across the world.
Known for its unique open-air sand studio, the institution combines Acogny’s contemporary dance techniques with traditional West African and Black modern dance influences. The school also gained international recognition for hosting the first African production of The Rite of Spring, which toured globally between 2021 and 2025.
Despite its global reputation, the future of the school remains uncertain. A multi-billion-dollar deep-water port project managed by DP World is currently under construction near the village, raising fears over possible land expropriation affecting the school and surrounding ecosystem.
In response, arts and cultural institutions in the area have formed an association to oppose the development and protect the region’s creative and environmental heritage.
