Multiple award-winning dancer, Kaffy, born Kafayat Shafau-Ameh on Tuesday, May 14th, 2019 had a media parley with all top media agencies at her newly commissioned Kaffy Incorporated, situated at 20A Badore Road, Ajah, Lagos.
The famous dancer did a tour of the building where she has her different businesses; Imagneto Dance Company, yanga online, Ijoda fitness & Kaffy Foundation, all under Kaffy Incorporated.”
After the tour, she sat with members of the press to discuss her forthcoming projects and she shared her thoughts concerning issues we are facing as a country; and how we need to change the narrative and have a re-orientation which is what she wants to achieve with The Dance Workshop and Conference.
She unveiled the 2019 edition of her international dance workshop and conference (TDWC2019) to be hosted for the first time in Lagos.
Kaffy also disclosed details of the anticipated event at a media parley held within the premises of her newly opened world class dance and fitness studio which also serves as her corporate office.
Speaking at the media parley, she explained that the Dance Workshop and conference, which in the last two years has become a catalyst in the entertainment industry as it was geared to make a huge impact on the dance community in Nigeria and Africa as a whole is to inspire, train and mentor dancers in the art and business of dance, and on how to establish a profitable career within the entertainment industry.
She added that the project fuses dance with entrepreneurship and cultural exchange to provide a well-rounded educational experience for professional dancers in Africa; as well as establish the need for structure and discipline required to pursue a career in the performing arts and the entertainment industry.
Kaffy reeled out a long list of keynote speakers and instructors expected from all over the world such as Zenith Bank MD; Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Ooni of Ife; HRM Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, US Consular General; Mr. F. John Bray, the world acclaimed Creative Director for Beyonce and Destiny Child; Frank Gatson, Mrs. Kay Ovia, Transcorp MD; Mr. Valentine Ozigbo.
Workshop teachers also include; Marcus Cobb from the US, Dance Fikshun, Jusbmore, Dancegod Lloyd from Ghana, Courtnae Paul, Sino Dinuywa from South Africa, Kwame Kideyez Osei from Germany, Ice Nweke and other top dance professionals and professors from Nigeria.
The event is the brainchild of Kaffy Incorporated (Imagneto Dance Company) in partnership with Landmark Event Center and Q21 Solutions, while Star Rising Children’s Educational Initiative, Zenith Bank, and Reddington Hospitals are listed as platinum sponsors.
Responding to questions about the entertainment industry in Nigeria, Kaffy lamented the stereotype that has branded all similar Afro Hip-Hop music forms in Nigeria as ‘Afrobeat’, she said; “African Music is African Music. Afrobeat is Fela’s type of music and should not be generalized as the whole Genre of any kind of music that comes out from Nigeria.
She also lamented on the wrong labelling of music genre in Nigeria. She said; “Afrobeat belongs to Fela”
She advocated for return to cultural dance forms… She say; “Shaku shaku is good, atilogwu, bata better. I think it’s a wrong way of generalizing our music. African Music is African Music. We can’t call the likes of Victor Owaifo, Sir Shina Peters, Chief Osadebe’s kind of music ‘Afrobeat’ just because it originated from here, it’s different from Afrobeat and we should not generalize ‘Afrobeat’ as our sound; rather its Fela’s sound and we must protect it at all cost”.
The Dance specialist also talked about the dominance of various dance forms not rooted in African culture, describing it as a sad departure from our roots, saying that the popular dance forms like Alanta, Shoki, Shaku Shaku, and Zanku have gradually taken focus away from original dance forms like the Bata, Atilogu and other true African dance forms that are embedded in our history and culture as a people.
Schedule for the workshop and conference as given by Kaffy shows that The TDWC Africa holds for 3 full days, starting with. The Dance Trade Fair which runs concurrently, from 9am – 11pm while the Conference starts from 9am to 1pm. Workshop starts from 2pm to 6pm and this runs for 3days.
Subsequently, in the evenings are social gatherings referred to as ‘Special Nights’ for the 3days from 7pm – 11pm. The conference is free; the workshop is at a cost of N5,000 to participate in the various breakout masterclass sessions with panelists and teachers, while the evening event tagged; ‘Afroburlesque Night’ attracts a fee of N3,000.
Intending participants are encouraged to register at the www.tdwcafrica.com as spaces are limited.
