OUR VALUES
Manga has been an important part of the Atlanta Community for decades, leading after-school programs around the city and working as featured artists with Woodruff Arts Center and with the Atlanta Ballet.
Manga performed in the 2003 Georgia State University World Music Festival, was featured in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games, and was sponsored by Motorola to perform for the corporate pavilion. Manga hosts two major annual events: the Dance and Drum Conference in April and Osun Festival in August.
Manga not only teaches dance and drum from various African cultures, but incorporates the tenets of daily African life into the curriculum of the school system. Through dance, drumming, and polyrhythmic techniques, students learn to apply skills from the classroom to African performance, benefiting from an interdisciplinary approach to education, health, and wellness. During games, music, and art, students learn to apply life lessons taught in African stories and proverbs. Students study French which is spoken in most of the countries in West and Central Africa.
The company’s high-energy repertoire includes dances and rhythms from Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Mali, Liberia, South Africa, Nigeria, and others countries.
OUR ACTIVITIES
Dance
Our dance class promotes and engages campers in various aspects of African dance.
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Traditional, authentic dances
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Brief lecture of dance featured
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Exposure to music from different parts of Africa
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Campers participation
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Traditional garments
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High energy performance
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Specially tailored to all age groups
Drumming
Coming to contact and playing drums will bring experiences of
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Traditional, authentic drumming
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Exposure to rhythms from different parts of Africa
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Audience participation
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High energy performance
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Specially tailored to all age groups
Arts & Crafts
Creating African art in our camp involves being creative, using your imagination, and making your ideas come to life by combining modern techniques and traditional tools and materials. Some of the project we undertake include Adinkra (Akan symbols on cloth), masks, kente bookmarks, etc.
Language
While at least 1,500 African languages are spoken in the 54 countries on the continent, French remains the lingua franca (or is spoken widely) in more than fifteen countries--most of West and Central Africa. Spanish is spoken only in Equatorial Guinea, but we will take the opportunity to practice or build upon Spanish for the students, widening their perspective on the Americas and the African diaspora.
In our French class, we will ensure that, through fun and creative approaches to teaching, students learn vocabulary, basic communication, and cultural contexts of language in Africa. Using dance class, percussion, song, and art, we also integrate French into a variety of activities in camp.
BENEFITS
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Promote flexibility and cardiovascular Health and stamina building
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Stimulate participant’s curiosity and creativity
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Exposure to other cultures with the learning of traditional dances and drum from countries from West Africa,
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Exposure to other steps and rhythms with the teaching of traditional dances and drum from countries from West Africa,
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Confidence building with the presentation of a performance at the end of the session
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Learn and create arts and crafts related to the African countries
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Exposure to the French language through song, video and basic French teaching
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Understanding other cultures with the background and history provided
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Teamwork and individual work
OUR JOURNEYS
MALI NIGERIA SENEGAL GHANA CONGO
OUR STAFF
Dr. Ramatu and Andree