Germaine Acogny is already 82 years old, yet she continues to skillfully run the dance school she founded in her homeland, Senegal, and recently went on tour with one of the dance companies she established. She is considered “the mother of modern African dance” and has received numerous awards and honorary titles in Africa, Europe, and the United States (the most recent being a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Venice Dance Biennale in 2021).

When she went to study dance in Paris in the 1960s, she was the only Black student at the school. There, she recounted, no one predicted a bright future for her because she had a “big butt and flat feet.” Since then, she has developed the “Acogny Method,” which combines modern Western dance with traditional African dance.

The film celebrates Acogny’s life and achievements through dance excerpts she created over the years and footage of her as a teacher and mentor to dancers and choreographers who are continuing her legacy.

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