Governments in Africa should take more account of the emancipatory qualities of dance, and also give artists and researchers the means to pursue their work more effectively. They mustn t forget that the very fact of researching our dances, which condition our entire lives, means agreeing to accepting ourselves as we are, freeing us from our complexes, making us feel good about who we are and what we think, proving that we have confidence in ourselves, in all Africans and in the rest of the world. Choreography is an exportable cultural product. On a large scale, it could become an asset for modern Africa. Since African dance has spread worldwide, it has done more to bring young people from the North and South closer together than any other policy, no matter how good and well-intentioned.
Dance is still the shortest route linking one individual to another.
It is about passion and seduction. During the period of colonization, Westerners understood this perfectly well and made it illegal to dance with Africans. In the past few decades, thanks to the African diaspora and to the many dance courses held in the North as well as the South, the trend has started moving in the opposite direction. Real exchanges have taken place, sincere and deep friendships have been woven in a spirit of mutual trust, dignity and respect. The rising interest in African dance calls for an adequate response on the part of Africans themselves, so that supply grows at the same pace as demand.