13th edition of Dense Bamako Danse festival ends

The 13th edition of Mali’s acclaimed international dance festival, ‘’ Dense Bamako Danse’‘ lived up to its billing of reviving Malian and African cultures while capturing the attention of the most remote populations.

The essence of ‘’ Dense Bamako Danse’‘ is to showcase the work of an emerging generation of African dancers and choreographers in a festival that brings modern African dance to the people..

Street art, puppetry, gymnastics, and choreographed dance in a tribute to women.

Beyond the simple history and the feelings that convey these different choreographies, the question of a woman’s place in society is central.

Jenny Mezile is a dance choreographer from Ivory Coast.

‘’ I move from a character that to me is a fragile or sensitive target as one identifies them. The girl who goes to the night club, who wears sexy dresses, who dances off-beat and then one day someone will and tell her that your life is not that, you missed everything’‘.

Some African women are subjected to several ill treatments: widowhood rites, forced marriages, and unwanted pregnancies. The festival also wants to be an educational platform, championing women and girls.

‘’ all of a sudden, all rocky. That’s what I’m telling myself. A happy, normal life that suddenly turned into nightmares. It is a story of women, especially of African women … And also a bit of experience”, said Bibata Ibrahim Maiga, a dancer from Mali. The selected performances question social realities, religion, the perception of women in contemporary society, according to its director Kettly Boer who also wants to promote peace and love.