West African Dance – Ivory Coast Style

Vado draws on the rich and diverse dance tradition from the Ivory Coast. With over 60 different ethnic traditions, the variety of steps and rhythms taught is complex, exciting and vigorous. Class is taught first with a simple 20-minute warm-up, followed by 30 minutes of learning steps to a particular dance. Drumming begins and the dance is performed as a whole. Then steps are practiced across the floor with the drums to several other dance rhythms for about 40 minutes, culminating in a final run-through of the learned dance in front of the drums. Spontaneous solos are also performed at the end of class with the drums.