Help Bring Dance Education to Africa

Shidaun and Soumayah Start Date: Jun 20, 2019 - End Date: Jun 19, 2020
  • Kenya
  • South Africa
  • Tanzania
  • Taiwan
  • Rwanda
  • Philippines
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar (Burma)
  • Egypt

My Travel Story

by: Shidaun and Soumayah Start Date: Jun 20, 2019 - End Date: Jun 19, 2020
Hi everyone! This is Soumayah & Africano with great news.

We are excited to announce that, from June  2019-May 2020, we will be embarking on an international dance education tour through East Africa, the UAE and Southeast Asia!

Over the past 2 years, we’ve visited over a dozen countries sharing our love for dance.

For us, dance is a form of cultural exchange as well as an opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of others. In our dance ministry, we provide dance education as a vehicle to connect with other cultures and to help others heal through dance. Many of these countries lack formal dance education. As a part of our creative outreach, we also offer opportunities for students to learn how to hone professional dance careers internationally.

Our residencies generally last between 1 week and 3 months in each country and we cover our own expenses.

Your contribution will help cover the following:
  • Visas
  • Housing
  • Food
  • Transportation (including airline travel)

This brings us to the part that we know you all want to hear.
As a “thank you” for your contribution to tour, we have some awesome rewards we’re giving out.

Don’t forget to check the links on this page to follow us on social media and take a look at our new travel VLOG - 2 Dancing Gypsies

Thank you for your support!


MORE ABOUT US:

Africano:
Shidaun Campbell, popularly known as Africano is a native of Charlotte, NC (USA). He is a world renowned dancer, spoken word poet, vocal percussionist and visionary. Africano has opened for artists such as Big Boi (Outkast), Cornell West, Nikki Giovanni, Rakim, the Cold Crush Brothers and the Universal Zulu Nation's 41st Anniversary. He also performed with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in Chicago, and venues such as BAM Café in Brooklyn and the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem. Africano is currently on tour and has shared the culture of Popping and Strutting while dance teaching workshops in Trinidad & Tobago, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Taiwan, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Dubai and was recently a resident instructor at the Hinton Battle Dance Academy in Tokyo, Japan. Africano is the founder of the International Urban Dance Academy and a member of the international dance crew, Playboyz inc, who are at the forefront of pioneering Bay Area Strutting and Popping to the dance world. He continues to push the boundaries of theater, music and dance throughout the artistic community.

Soumayah:
Soumayah Nanji is an African and Caribbean descent professional dancer, choreographer, performer, and teacher with 25 years of experience. Growing up in the music business as her mom was a music promoter for Capitol records, she is no stranger to the entertainment and dance world. She is trained in African, Ballet, Dancehall, Hip-Hop, House, Modern, Salsa, Samba, Site Specific Dance, and Street Jazz. Her training spans various schools and performing arts programs nationally and abroad such as Ailey Extension, Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, Bale Folclorico Da Bahia, New Waves Dance and Performance Institute, and Peridance. Soumayah has trained with numerous dance instructors and choreographers from all over the world including Jose Carlos Arandiba, April Berry, Korie Genius, Sekou Heru, Kim Holmes, Rennie Harris, Frida Persson, Theodore Jamison, and Carlos Neto. In 2012, Soumayah was the first out of state choreographer to be selected to serve as an artist in residence with the Miami Dade College Dance Department-Kendall Campus and a recipient of the tuition grant for the New Waves Dance and Performance Institute in Trinidad & Tobago. Her certifications include Site Specific Dance and Performance from CalArts and Acting For Film from the New York Film Academy. Miss Nanji is also a graduate of the Tri-Cities High School Visual and Performing Arts Program where she majored in dance. Currently, Soumayah is the Artistic Director of her own dance company, Gifted En Movement Dance Theater and touring South America and Africa conducting residencies and workshops in Afrobeats, and Dancehall.
  • Kenya
  • South Africa
  • Tanzania
  • Taiwan
  • Rwanda
  • Philippines
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar (Burma)
  • Egypt

Updates

1

  • Nairobi

    Nairobi
    We were blessed to teach this amazing group of dancers in Nairobi, Kenya. We'll be returning in November. Next stop, Tanzania!

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