The International Centre for Traditional and Contemporary African Dances (Ecole des Sables)

The Centre was formed in 1998 under the leadership of Senegalese dancer and choreographer Germaine Acogny, who Dance magazine labeled "the first lady of modern African dance." The main objective of the Centre is to provide a living, working, and learning space for young dancers from the whole of Africa, giving them professional training as well as an understanding of both traditional and non-traditional dance forms.  After the first series of workshops was held in 1998, Acogny and a group of dancers formed Compagnie Jant-Bi.