About

Learn how to sense and feel traditional African rhythms and hold them together as a group in a drumming and dance circle. The class begins with body percussion, warm up, chanting of drumming rhythms, songs, drumming techniques and progressively builds rhythms and repertoire.
Great for rhythmic perception, movement memory retention, balance, core control and coordination of isolating body parts in poly-rhythmic patterns. Designed to bring a sense of togetherness, story and connection to the Earth

The workshops conclude with body stretching and winding our minds down with a drum meditation 

7.00 - 8.00pm Dun Dun Dance - drumming with sticks while standing and dancing.

8.00 - 9.00pm Djembe or Kpanlogo hand drumming.

Drums available 

Dates

Location

Get directions

Bellbrae Heartspace, 1544 Anglesea Rd, Wadawurrung Country, Bellbrae, Victoria, Australia. It's opposite School Rd, behind the Tennis Courts, next to Spring Creek, just when you dip down in the valley of Bellbrae on the Surf Coast. February - until the last Tuesday before Christmas

Christmas holidays - end of January: Cosy Corner beach, Torquay. (By donation, drum hire available)

ETHNOCHOREOLOGIST 
Jacqui Dreessens 'Esi Twebah'

Director of Wild Moves International, Drumentia, Dancing with Parkinson's (Sparky Moves), Orisa Pan-African dance, Garba dance of the Sacred Feminine (India), Wild Moves on the Surf Coast and is the Bodhrán player (Irish drum) for TradJam of the Ironbark.
jacqui.dreessens@gmail.com
Mobile: +61 488 527 656

B.Ed (Dance, Drama, Psychology) Rusden, Deakin University, Australia, 1985.

M.Arts (Ethnochoreology) Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland, 2017.

Shamanic Practitioner, Irish School of Shamanic Studies, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland 2018.

Agoro Theatre Company, Ghana, 2001 - 2007. Asanti Dance Theatre, Ghana 2004 - 2014. 

Lecturer in Performing Arts Education, Deakin University, 1990 - 2016.

Jacqui is an ethnochoreologist and community arts practitioner in choreography and percussion. Born and raised in Geelong and the Surf Coast on the lands of the Wadawurrung People, Jacqui brings over 30 years of professional teaching and performance experience in schools, universities, festivals, Early Childhood, Health & Wellbeing, Corporate and community ritual celebrations.

Jacqui has extensively studied dance styles and drumming techniques of the African Diaspora which has led to many exciting artist in residency programs in schools, festivals and communities across Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Portugal and Senegal including, 'Where journeys Meet' Gasworks Community Arts Park, to celebrate Australian Federation 2001; the Opening Ceremony for the Deaf Olympic Games at Olympic Park, Melbourne 2005; 'The Mountain to Mouth Extreme Arts Walk' You Yangs, Geelong city, Barwon Heads, 2016, 2018 and many new works for the Torquay High Tide Festival like 'SwellBeing'; 'Hidden Depths'; 'Natural Balance'; 'Moonahs: Sentinels of the Surf Coast'; 'Circles on Waves', 'Hoofprints in the Sand'; 'Hoodie Boogie', 'Kingfisher Dance'.

In 2007, 'Children of the Blue Light - bringing in transcultural voices for healing through music and dance' was her first major ethnographic film documentary in performance ritual at the Cape Coast Slave Dungeons of Ghana, West Africa with Asanti Dance Theatre and Wild Moves International.

On the Australian festival circuit, over the past 30 years, Jacqui has performed with many African dance bands notably, Warako Musica (Congo), Thula Sana (Sth Africa) and Adzohu (Ghana).

Since 2001, Jacqui has facilitated cultural dance and drumming tours to Ethiopia, Ghana, Portugal, Senegal and continues to do so

https://linktr.ee/Wildmoves