DANCE WITH A PURPOSE (FINAL PRODUCTION)

 PHYLLIS DELPHINA AMOAH ,

Accra. 

 Dancing With A Purpose 

Dancing, a movement of the body to a rhythm, is an activity people do for various reasons such as physical fitness, mental clarity, and commonly for entertainment. Dancing is also a source of livelihood for others who work as dance instructors. There are different types of dances, both local and international such as salsa, ballet, cultural dances and choreography.

 Over the years, there have been various choreography groups springing up to perform at different places in Ghana; “Dance with a purpose” is one of such groups. Dance with A Purpose, DWP, is not just a dance group but a dance school or institution, which accommodates and trains young people with the talents and flair for dance. 

The group was set up in 2014 by Laud Anoo Konadu and Nicholas Botchey also known as Dancegodloyd and Afrobeast respectively. The group started with family and friends who love to dance and over time, the number increased to about 500 people. 

 In an interview with NAFTI news, the founders of the group stated “DWP academy is to help young people monetize their creativity and help them find their purpose and live it”. According to the founders, they pick these people from the street and give them a better a life with the belief that they have hidden talents aside dancing which needs to be explored and developed. 

 The founders explained how they have impacted the lives of their members during the seven years of the group’s existence. Stating that some of the members couldn’t even speak good English or dress properly when they first joined the group but under their supervision and guidance, they have grown to be better at these things.

 According to the founders, joining the group has given some of the members the required exposure to get gigs and start side business to help them make money on their own to support themselves and their families at home. “This course has provided a lot of job opportunities for a lot of young folks on the streets and their parents are happy they are able to make some money out of dancing”. 

 In an interview with the members of the group, they elaborated on how joining the group has boosted their confidence and also spoke about the other benefits they’ve acquired since joining the dance group. One of them stated “my confidence level is one of the things that has become something big for me since I joined the academy, before I was not confident enough to even talk to people like (I do) now”.

The group, due to their hard work, has landed them on great platforms such as BBC, CNN etc. They have also been able to work with both locally and internationally recognized artists such as Shatte Wale, Beyonce and Cardi B. 

They were also the first dance group to perform on the biggest music awards show in Ghana: Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. Speaking to NAFTI news, the founders shared their future plans for the academy.