It was all excitement and enthusiasm as we closed our Israel-Ghana Dance Bridges Week on Wednesday, 27 October 2021.
Through the collaboration of the Department of Dance of the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, we experienced three days of learning, sharing and appreciating the cultures of Ghana and Israel through Dance.
The night started with an energetic performance by the Ghana Dance Ensemble, followed by a soothing performance of Israeli Traditional Folk Dance by students of the Dance Department. Other performances included special poolside choreography by the students of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
From Monday, 25 October to Wednesday, 27 October 2021, the Embassy of Israel in collaboration with the Dance Department of the School of Performing Arts of the University of Ghana organized the second edition of its annual festival of dance in Accra. Dubbed, “Dance Bridges,” the three-day event celebrated traditional, folk and contemporary dance acts with Israeli & Ghanaian dancers.
In her remarks, Israeli Ambassador-Designate to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, H. E. Shlomit Sufa expressed that “since we are still in COVID times, we are unable to host our original in person activity as we did in 2019. However, technology has given us the opportunity to make Dance Bridges a reality. This year’s edition comes with a unique digital conference and workshop that brings together artists, dancers, choreographers and dance scholars from Israel and Ghana to collaborate and create an innovative synergy that celebrates our two cultures.”
“The goal of this special week is to share and learn about each other’s culture, dances and diversity in dance and dance education,” said Ambassador Sufa.
On her part, the Dean of the School of Performing Arts, Prof. Awo Asiedu acknowledged the essence of the cultural collaboration. “I believe that more of such collaborations will result in a better world since it helps us to understand each other. It also serves as a means of social integration.
This dance week collaboration represents the resilience of the arts”
She added, “bringing scholars and practitioners together is one of the best ways of bridging the gap between theory and practice.”
Dance has been an integral element of the Jewish cultural life since biblical times. Dance and dancing became important to the construction of the modern Jewish/Israeli cultural identity. The continued evolution and development of Israeli modern dance is imbued with socio-historical significance and is, in many ways, a reflection of the complex reality of living and creating in Israel.
In Ghana, music and dance cultures goes beyond entertainment. They form an intricate tapestry of the political, social, cultural, and economic backbone of both historical and contemporary life. Music and dance contain relevant data about all facet of the Ghanaian life to the point that they are indispensable even today.
Activities for this year’s Israel-Ghana Dance Bridges Week included:
• Israeli Folk Dance Lessons with Inbar Shuv Ami
• Dance Film Screening – YAG by Ohad Naharin
• Traditional Dance Classes by the University of Ghana Dance Department
• Artist Talk with Choreographer and Filmmaker Dana Ruttengberg
• Move it Class by Maya Brinner
The ceremony was attended by the Pro-Vost of the University of Ghana; Dean of the School of Performing Arts, Prof. Awo Aseidu; Head of the Dance Department, Dr. Sylvanus K. Kuwor; Dean of the Faculty of Dance, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, Dr. Vered Aviv; Director of Dance Bridges, Prof. Neta Pulvermeracher, Faculty Members of the Dance Department, University Of Ghana, Legon. and Students.