The Great Primate Handshake – Volunteer in Africa, working to conserve monkeys and apes through film and educational content production

Dance Together Uganda- One step at a time!

On the second night of the handshake project we all did something slightly different. We went to a local dance class in Kampala that is part of an ongoing community project.

It started in 2006 and is open to all ages. The group meets to learn a variety of different dance styles; including break dancing, hip-hop, street, body popping, salsa and contemporary. The students that attend are from a variety of backgrounds; some students used to be on the streets with very little direction but know have a place to go and learn new skills while meeting new people. Most attend three or four times a week.

The group meets in a church hall most nights of the week; they used to get charged for the use of the hall until the manager of the church realised what the project was achieving.

On Saturday night we went to join in! There were small groups of students around the hall, about 60 in total, all learning different styles of dance, once they have learnt a few moves they move around and teach someone else; so everybody learns and everybody teaches.

I joined in with a guy called Michael who was teaching a small group a few new moves! After learning how to run around my feet he asked if he could learn some English moves off me; we then managed to put together a little routine, one of his moves followed by one of mine. The finale move seemed to be a popular one with everybody there……the baby freeze! This involves balancing on your hands and head with your legs in the air (which explains the large bump on the side of my head!)

At the end of the lesson everybody crowds round in a circle and they take it in turns to go in the middle to show off there moves!! They were all amazing!! Michael decided we should show off our little routine, he told me to feel the music and warned me that it had to be perfect (no pressure then!)

It was lots of fun and went down well; I was then referred to as the mzungu that has moves!!

Was a brilliant evening, we our hoping to go back for another lesson when we return to Kampala!

Ellie Sowerby
Handshake Volunteer, Uganda 2010