GERMAINE ACOGNY – THE ESSENCE OF DANCE (OmU)

Wiesbaden premiere:

Germaine Acogny is not only the “mother of contemporary African dance,” but also one of Africa’s most important artistic voices.

Rooted in traditional West African dances and shaped by engagement with European dance forms, she developed her own Acogny technique. With more than 50 years on international stages and her work as a mentor to young dancers in Senegal and around the world, the 81-year-old artist has become a dance icon for an entire continent. In 2021, this extraordinary dancer, choreographer, and teacher was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Dance Biennale.

The cinema audience accompanies this exceptional talent on stage, witnesses her being honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2021 Venice Dance Biennale and with the Grand Prix de l’Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 2023. The protagonist’s vibrant present and remembered past are woven together through documentary scenes, carefully selected archival material, and dance scenes staged especially for the film.

Watch the trailer here.

In cooperation with Hessisches Staatsballett.

June 11 at 5:30 p.m. — Ticket link
June 12 at 8:15 p.m. — Ticket link

Image: © CALA FILM