Granddaughter of a voodoo priestess and friend of Maurice Béjart, germaine Acogny likes to say and repeat to her young pupils: "
Today, we are going to dance like a tree ...
" And such a beautiful and deserved recognition, the Lion d'or de la danse 2021 was awarded to him by the Venice Biennale.
This great Franco-Senegalese dancer and choreographer is known the world over as "
the mother of contemporary African dance
", emphasized the jury of the great Venetian artistic event.
Read also: Germaine Acogny, a black model on the loose
“
Her contribution to the dance and choreography training of young West Africa and the wide dissemination of her work in her home country and around the world have made her one of the most influential independent voices on the art of dance
”, further developed the direction of the Biennale.
To read also: "Béjart knew how to bewitch people"
The dancer, now 76 years old, who notably directed from 1977 to 1982 Mudra Afrique, the dance school founded by Maurice Béjart and President Léopold Sédar Senghor, “
believes in the capacity of dance to change lives. people and she has always been committed to sharing her passion as an act of transformation and regeneration
”.
One passion, dance
With her husband Helmut Vogt, she created the École des Sables, an international center for traditional and contemporary African dances inaugurated in June 2004 in Toubab Dialaw (Senegal).
She has also created numerous shows for her company JANT-BI, with which she has toured around the world.
The Silver Lion was awarded to North Irish dancer and choreographer Oona Doherty, 34, “a
powerful voice on the European scene (...) who confronts themes of identity, gender and religion, generally kept away from the spotlight of the dance
”.
On the occasion of the 15th Venice Biennale International Dance Festival, which will take place from July 23 to August 1, Germaine Acogny will present her show
Somewhere at the Beginning
, while Oona Doherty will be present with
Hard to Be Soft - A Belfast Prayer
.
The prestigious Golden Lion of dance has crowned among others in the past Merce Cunningham (1995), Carolyn Carlson (2006), Pina Bausch (2007), William Forsythe (2010), Sylvie Guillem (2012), Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (2015), Maguy Marin (2016) or again and La Ribot (2020)
Maurice Béjart's legacy