African dance according to Patrick Ouedraogo

His homeland is Burkina Faso. "I was 6 years old the first time I danced, " he tells me, but I'm sure that a few steps in full fluid already threw him into his belly, a few head swings and a quick shake of his shoulders. Yes, I really think so.

Patrick Ouedragogo could describe him as a dance teacher (the undersigned takes his lessons as soon as he can in Umbria) that moves throughout Italy, from Florence to Perugia and Spoleto.

"I was born and raised in dance. In Africa there are families that are part of the Griot tradition ; they are families of artists, storytellers, those who pass on the memory of the village through art. I didn't come from a similar family but I didn't want to deprive myself of the possibility of becoming a dancer, although my parents wanted me to deepen the study, to go to university. Obviously there was concern on the part of my relatives: not everyone becomes good dancers in Europe, many get lost. "

I immediately ask him a question that is close to my heart. Considering that I saw very white people not being able to tune into rhythm in any way and others immediately enter the channel of the beat and upbeat, I ask him how he reacts when some white man throws in the towel and says: "Ah, but for blacks it's different, they have it in their blood. ”Here, this has always seemed to me a limit.

Patrick agrees: "Of course, we grow with the rhythm, but we can learn, it's just a matter of returning to something. I know very good European dancers. Everyone says the world started in Africa; it's just a matter of getting involved. Everything can be done, it depends on the commitment. "

Patrick from Ouagadougou to Spain, France, to Germany and Romania has come a long way. He started traveling in the company at the age of 16. It combines elements of contemporary dance with traditional African dance.

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Teaching or learning

I ask him if he likes teaching and when he started. “I already taught in Africa to groups of Europeans, it was about intensive seminars or courses. I love teaching: every day corresponds to an experience. By teaching you become a better dancer. In many cases it is a question of teaching oneself to let go, to remove shame. It's about learning to jump back into things . "

He pauses, looks at the ground: " Every day it is possible to improve".

Body wear, a theme that is often associated with dance, especially classical dance. "Every dance can hurt you. An accident can depend on many factors, for example, the absence of adequate heating . I love the warm-up phase. Also because there is improvisation, every step that comes to my intuition I use it. "

Communicate without words

The element of the circle in afro dance is fundamental. The classes of Patrick contemplate a final stretching that could not be performed except by shaking the hand of people who have sweated and laughed with you for more than an hour and a half in the room, people who have left the rhythm in the air, transferring it from the walk to the ground. "It communicates without the mouth, the beauty of Afro music and dance is also this." I ask him what he would like to do in the future, what his desires are. "Of course I'd like to travel in the future, to see countries I haven't seen, but even more I would like to write the story of my life."

Back to Africa ? "I feel Africa far away for now. At the moment it's okay for me not to move so far. "Why? Hear the answer, all exquisitely bound to the rhythm. "Because I would never use recorded bases while I teach. I need to know the musicians, I have to be sure of the music. "

There is the sun as we speak, the fountain behind us gushes and I find myself thinking of all the people in the dance world I met who had too great pride, a dramatically extended ego, too expanded to be able to teach anything with the enthusiasm I see in this boy's eyes. And I feel the usefulness of interviews, the beauty of being able to change, at any time. And choose the immediate, the pure. The movement, for what it is, simply, wonderfully.