Zoamaka Dancing Group
Zoamaka is a dancing group based in worcester, MA. Zoamaka – the name of our dance group is derived from an Igbo word Uzoamaka (Igbo is a language in Nigeria) which means the path is beautiful!

Dancing in Africa!
In African societies, dance has been used over the ages as a natural means of communication: it expresses joy, sadness, love and hate; it instills power in the invading tribe; it pleads with the gods to provide food, rain, sun; it celebrates all the meaningful stages of life: birth, poverty, initiation, marriage, death.

Dancing routines:
Zoamaka African dancers concentrate on dancing styles from the general Central African region. We have also adopted a dance from Senegal.

Congolese Dances (Central Africa)
Traditional Congolese dances are rooted in ritual. Ritual dances are spiritually-connected, therefore acknowledging the spirit world and its presence in everyday life.

Another aspect of Congolese dance is social dance. This form is very different from ritual dance, in that social dance is non-exclusive and improvised, yet it does draw alot of its movements from ritual dance. Social Congoles dances are shaped by, not only the Congolese, but also by the influence of other ethnic groups, as they come to meet at parties, nightclubs and festivals within the Congo.

Senegalese Dance:
This dance is inspired by the household chores carried out by African women. The work is hard but the women interact with each other to get through the day and at the end of the day they thank God and then collapse from exhaustion.

War Dance:
War is a commonality that links many Africans and this dance is therefore a depiction of war from different perspectives: the people that are attacked, warriors that attack and the casualties of war. The last movement in the dance is particularly poignant because the dancers pull together to help a fallen dancer symbolizing a key component of war- people coming together to heal wounds.

Members:
Anuli Iloabachie (Nigeria)
Claude Kaitare (Rwanda)
Lincoln Muhoro (Kenya)
Manseen Logan (Liberia)
Likovele Makatiani (Kenya)
Yeniva Massaquoi (Sierra Leone)

How to contact Zoamaka African Dancers
Email: zoamaka@gmail.com
Telephone:  617-259-6185

Past Events:
State Street Bank - Quincy, MA : February 05
G & P Variety Show - Worcester, MA : February 05