Learning from the Choreographer of The Woman King: Zoyi M’Dane

At the beginning of December, Salt and Light Dance Company hosted a 2-day dance workshop for professionals and aspiring professionals in the field. This is the second workshop of this kind that the Company has hosted this year.

For March’s workshop, the Company partnered with 250 Machine, a well-known dancer and choreographer from South Africa. This month, S&L joined with Zoyi M’Dane, also a dancer and choreographer living in South Africa, to teach attendees about the business of the dance world, as well as about the practical ins and outs of dance training and auditions.

Day 1 consisted of a sit-down discussion about the business of dance. Day 2 was a dance intensive complete with a beginner-friendly training session, footwork and basic step drills, choreography, and a mock audition setup. In each of these sessions, M’Dane brought her extensive experience as a choreographer for the Hollywood film, The Woman King. M’Dane’s credits also include dancing for Ciara and Coca-Cola, amongst others. 

This level of instruction can be hard to access for the average dancer looking to go professional. Through this partnership, attendees had the chance to learn from an instructor who has tangible experience at the top of the global dance field. 

In conversations with Tich and Terrence, the individuals behind the Salt and Light Dance Company, the two expressed the impact that education and exposure has had on the development of their careers.

Bringing in top-of-the-line instructors like Zoyi M’Dane is one iteration of this goal to bring practical and accessible dance education to students in Zimbabwe and across Africa. 

To keep up-to-date on the other workshops, intensives, and events that S&L are hosting moving forward, you can follow their official Instagram page.

To see Zoyi M’Dane’s dance intensive through our eyes, go to the official Movement Instagram page.