Hed- Finding my native drum
Dek - How one young woman tries to reacquaint herself with dance at the Wacheva
By Ivie Igbeare
My breathing came out in short gasps, as African dance instructor Biboti Ouikahilo, told
the class of five that we were going to learn the Kuku dance. I began to follow his
movement. It’s easy. Left foot out, then right out. I thought to myself, this isn't too bad.
But then Ouikahilo, an average-height, dark-skinned man with a genuine smile, added the
arms into his routine. As I feverishly tried to copy and memorize each turn of the hip,
thump of my foot, and swish of my hand, I realized how difficult it is to keep up. Despite
my best efforts my arms and feet always fall a beat behind. And this was just the beginner
level African dance class at Wacheva Cultural Arts Center.
I wasn’t just at Wacheva to re-discover my dance moves, but to get introduced to my
Nigerian heritage as well. Ouikahilo created Wacheva because he wanted a place where
different cultures and dance genres could come together. The center houses different
types of dance, from modern, to salsa, andFlamenco. Ouikahilo drew inspiration for this
studio from an ethnic and African dance studio in New York City called Djoniba Dance
and Drum Center.
Ouikahilo performed at Syracuse University in 2003 and found a vacant house for sale.
The house had the right amount of space to incorporate all the ideas he had about his
dream dance studio, Wacheva.
Wacheva’s beginner-level African dance class lasts for an hour and a half. Without much
introduction, Ouikahilo leads the class in a warm-up, followed by dances set to music
from his native hometown of Sinfra Progouri West, a region of the Ivory Coast, West
Africa.
Students are dancing for the whole class lead by Ouikahilo who wears traditional African
garb. His cutoff shirt and baggy pants are covered in tribal prints, vibrating with blues,
greens, and yellows, they sway in midair as he leads the class.
When I found out African dance was available, it was the only one to spark an intense
interest in me. My childhood years consisted of summer house parties where my family
clapped their hands and moved their feet to native Nigerian moves, but African dance
still seemed foreign to me.
My mother moved to America when she was 25 years old but never taught me any dance
moves from my Nigerian culture,. I was too focused on ballet and tap, so I never thought
to ask her if dancing played any part in her life. Stepping into Wacheva was my first time
in a dance studio for 13 years and blood rushed through every part of my body as the
nerves set in.
During the class, Ouikahilo fiddled with the stereo, as he began to mimic the loud cackles
of the lyrics. He kicked up his feet into the air while both arms flew to the ceiling.
Momentarily frozen in the middle of the studio, he twisted his feet left and right while his
arms moved in the opposite direction of his feet. I awkwardly followed along but
managed to crack a smile simultaneously. “This dance is called the Ku-ku,” he said in a
heavy African accent. “When you hear the drums play prepti, prepti, pre — ti, that is
when you move.”
An hour and a half later, droplets of sweat drenched my forehead and t-shirt. Every time I
moved, ripples of acute pain shot through my leg. When I got home, exhaustion took over
and I collapsed on the couch, knees first. Despite my grueling first day of African dance,
entering the dance studio brought back memories of why I love dance and awakened a
yearning to learn more about my background.
I found myself calling my mother the next day and asking her about Nigerian dance. She
chuckled and said, “Of course I can show you some Nigerian moves.” The following
week I returned to Wacheva not only to break a sweat but to reconnect with my African
roots as well.
SIDEBAR BOX: So You think you can dance?
Classes at Wacheva are drop-in and require no advanced sign-up. Simply go to the studio
30 minutes prior to the class and pay your fee.
Upcoming Beginner African Dance Schedule for May:
Wed/Fri: 6:30-8 p.m. (beginners-level)
Saturday: 12:30 -2 pm (all levels)
One Village Dance Centre, 117 Harvard Place, Syracuse, NY 13210
315-396-0748 (office) / 315-506-3632 (cell)
Fee: $10.00