Dance Traffic
exchange between Russia and three West-African countries (1999-2007)
The evolution of contemporary dance in both Russia and East Africa is recent -- in less than a decade, a generation of committed and visionary creators have moved from the dominance of classical/ballet (Russia) and traditional dance (East Africa) to lay claim to fresh territories for contemporary dance in their respective cultural landscapes. 

After five years of exchanges the design of DANCE TRAFFIC has been realized.
Supported by the Ford Foundation’s Media Arts and Culture Programs in both the Moscow and East African Offices, and developed by the Center for International Theatre Development, in partnership with the GoDown Arts Center in Nairobi and TSEH in Moscow, DANCE TRAFFIC 2004 / 05 is:
· The creation of six new dance works, with Russian choreographers working with East African companies, and vice versa. The choreographers are drawing on both the contemporary as well as the traditional dance forms of each country, making for experiments, synthesis, resonance and dissonance. 
The pairings were:
·  Albert Albert & Alexandra Konnikova (Moscow) with JokaJok Dance Company (Nairobi, Kenya)
· Sasha Pepelyaev (Moscow/Tallinn) with Mionzi Dance Theatre (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)
· Vladimir Golubev (Chelyabinsk) with Footsteps Dance Company (Kampala, Uganda)
· Roger Masaba (Kampala, Uganda) witht ArtFabrika (Ekaterinburg)
· Ian Mwaisunga (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) with Dance Company Kipling (Ekaterinburg)
· Juliet Omolo (Nairobi, Kenya) with Colony of Unstrict Dancers, (Chelyabinsk)

· During the five week residencies for the rehearsals and creation, visiting choreographers offered additional local, regional, and national workshops and master classes.
· In East Africa, the groups toured the work outside of their home/capitals, including performances and workshops in Mombassa, Zanzibar, and Bagamoyo 

· DANCE WEEK, 16 – 19 February, at the GoDown in Nairobi. The event featured TRAFFIC productions as well as seminars, and also offered a broader East African contemporary Dance Showcase.

· DANCE WEEK also gathered key regional, continental and international dance producers, presenters, critics and practitioners. The international guests were introduced to East African contemporary dance.

· In Russia, the TRAFFIC works created were showcased in performance in Ekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk in late March. 

· Documentation included the production of two broadcast-quality documentary videos of both the Russian and East African collaborations, as well as a DANCE TRAFFIC booklet.

This project represented the collective thinking and planning of key Russian and East African partners: Joy Mboya, Opiyo Okach, Juliet Omolo, the late Gichora Mwangi, Roger Masaba, Ian Mwaisunga, Aloyce Makonde, and Suki Mwendwa in East Africa; Elena Tupyseva, Sasha Pepelyaev, Olga Pona, and the late Nicolai Dimitriev in Russia.

D A N C E T R A F F I C is a project of the Center for International Theatre Development, Philip Arnoult, director, and is produced by CITD in partnership with TSEH in Russia and the GoDown in East Africa.

D A N C E T R A F F I C supported by the Media, Arts, and Culture Programs of the Moscow and Eastern Africa Offices of the Ford Foundation.