Each morning we have had a dance class, then a drumming class. Appiah had planned to build a facility on his land where we would stay and have classes, but this hasn't been ready in time so we have stayed at his parents house and rehearsed in the living room.
We basically took over the house, moved all the furniture outside to dance and have been made very welcome. I'm a bit confused about how many people usually live there as so many come and go. I would sit out on the verandah and watch the world float past carrying huge loads on their beautiful heads, wearing the most spectacular clothes and be chatting to a stranger(or trying to chat, I don't speak Ghanain and many people have a smattering of English) who described himself as Alex who has a brother who is very talented at football who needs a sponsor, who lives three streets away.
There were always people wandering thought the house that I didn't know.
So.. back to the classes. These a being run by a company called 'Asanti'. They are enormously talented, world class musicians and dancers. I feel privileged to be working with them. Over the years of groups coming to study with them, they have fallen in love and been married off to Australians who have brought them back to Melbourne (hence the classes I had been taking in Melbourne). So the company is now fractured, with half of them the group in Melbourne and half in Cape Coast. Those left in Ghana are all keen to hook up with someone so they can leave. There is no opportunity for them in Ghana. Australia won't give them working visas, the only way they can enter the country is to marry.
Makes me wonder about the incredible human resources that are wasted on this planet. These people have such an energy, such a wit, such extraordinary physical skill, such beauty, generosity and grace that is squandered through lack of opportunity, not through lack of will. This group deserve their place on the world stage. It would be Ghana's loss and our gain for all of them to come. I wish I could put them all in my case and fly them away.
They are great teachers and patient with this mixed group of 7 white women. A couple are dancers, nearly all are teachers and we range in age from something like 28 to 50ish. It seems that the whole town is at some stage standing in the doorways and the windows, watching us practice. There is much hilarity and encouraging smiles. The children are divine (though the little boys around the house tend to spend a lot of time beating each other up for fun and it always ends in tears). A young girl called Victoria ...
.. it's a draw... the Ghanaians all stand up and wander out ... no jubilation .. I guess that means that both teams keep going.. bugger I was hoping they would win so I could see them hoot and bounce again.
... a STRIKING young girl called Victoria hangs around for the first two days. She eventually joins in the dance. We learn from Victoria that she wants to learn to dance and sing and drum. Victoria doesn't go to school because she can't afford to pay. It costs $150 a year to attend the public school. We will organise to sponsor her. How many other children in the town are in this situation? There is a private school in town. They pay $250 a year.
The bloke with the microphone is now handing out prizes for people on various computer terminals. Thais has just won a bunch of fizzy drinks and a t-shirt. Gawd I wish he would shut UP.
The others want to go... it's 4 pm and I haven't eaten since breakfast.. gotta gowith the group flow..
more later..
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