As you walk near Hart House’s dance studios, you might catch a faint beat of a Rema track or the rhythmic steps of an Afrobeat dance through the wooden floors. If you do, follow the sound — you’ll likely find the Afro-Dance and Culture (ADC) Club hosting one of their regular dance workshops.
And the best part? You’re invited.
The ADC at U of T shares the joy of African and diasporic culture through Afro-Dance. This broad genre encompasses dance styles originating from across the African continent. Africa’s 54 nations, the thousands of tribes, communities, and ethnic groups, and the diverse diasporic communities each have unique musical traditions.
The genre of Afro-Dance is a broad term for African music that shares features such as its deep roots in traditional African movement, its incorporation of polyphonic rhythms — the simultaneous combination of more than one rhythm — and its emphasis on collective performance. ADC hosts Afro-Dance workshops and performances, along with a variety of events such as crochet workshops, trivia nights, and roundtable discussions on African news.
“There is technique to it, but it is a lot about how you have your own rhythm… it’s not super strict on how each move should be… performed. It’s very much how you feel like you should perform it in a way where it showcases… your personality and your own expression of that dance move.”
“Come and be free”
“We know a lot of people don’t do Afro-Dance — after all, we’re in Canada — so it’s like an introduction […] come and learn. Come and be free. Come and be happy. Come […] and learn more about Africa from Africans,” said ADC’s artistic director Frances Cudjoe in an interview with The Varsity.
Cudjoe, a second-year U of T student studying genome biology and political science, choreographs and teaches the club’s flagship dance workshops. She leads dances across various Afro-Dance genres, including Afrobeat, Amapiano, and Congolese waist-winning, as well as modern, and “hip” adaptations popular on platforms like Tik Tok.
Cudjoe emphasized that these classes are “beginner-friendly” and that you do not need to be African or of African descent to join.
“I’ve learned… how to bring people out of their comfort zone… I love… that feeling of bringing people from all different facts of… life to just see that, hey, chale, you can do this,” said Cudjoe. Chale is a slang term meaning friend in Ghana.
“There’s just something about the soul of Afro-dance that feels different… it’s entwined so much in the music in itself,” said Cudjoe. She explained, “Traditional dances are more for formal settings, so we make it… more accessible to everybody. And I don’t know it’s just something about Afro-dance, the vibe around it… that has joy in it.”
ADC President Nyokabi Muchuku is a fourth-year student at U of T, studying human biology, immunology, and medical anthropology. In an interview with The Varsity, she said, “There is technique to [Afro-dance], but it is a lot about how you have your own rhythm… it’s not… super strict on how each move should be… performed. It’s very much… how you feel like you should perform it in a way where it showcases… your personality and your own expression of that dance move.”
She added, “I think a lot of people resonate with that, because they’re able to express themselves in a way where maybe they’re not able to do it in like other dance forms.”
For students who don’t know much about the genre, ADC executive members recommended artists such as Rema, Tems, Ayra Starrs, Camidoh, Holiday, Tyler ICU, and Uncle Waffles. “All of us are Rema stans,” said Cudjoe, who passionately listed her Afro-Dance favourites.
Cultivating culture, creating community
While dance is central to the club’s identity, it’s only half the story. Muchuku explained that ADC is also about “bringing… African culture to the campus of U of T.”
Muchuku has been part of the club throughout her undergraduate years. She fondly recalled attending virtual dance workshops during her first year before joining the executive team as social media manager in her second year and later as artistic director in her third. “[Because of] the fact that we were hybrid, a lot of the times I was at home… the number one thing I was looking for was… community,” she said.
Beyond Afro-Dance classes and performances, the club also celebrates African culture through a variety of events. Last November, ADC hosted an ‘Ultimate African Family Meeting,’ where members discussed everything from contemporary political issues to the age-old debate of ‘who makes the best jollof rice.’
For many, the club provides a meaningful connection to their heritage. “It’s kind of nice because a lot of us miss home,” said Cudjoe. “I haven’t been home since I came here. So it’s a nice community. It feels like you’re getting hugged by a blanket.”
Currently, there are no student associations specifically for African students at UTSG. UTM and UTSC have dedicated African Student Associations, and UTSG has clubs for students from specific countries in African countries — such as the Nigerian Students Association and the Somali Students Association — but there is no pan-continental group at UTSG.
The ADC is working to bridge this gap. “We like to call ourselves… the African Student Association for this campus,” joked Muchuku. Similarly, Cudjoe added, “ADC is trying to be the African Students Association.”
“The Black Student Association is really helpful with being able to find community when it comes to… black students, but a lot of times you want to find something that’s maybe a little bit closer to home,” said Muchuku. “So many people are finding our club first when it comes to… African students clubs.”
ADC’s next dance workshop will take place on Wednesday, February 26, from 6:00–8:00 pm in the Hart House 2034 Debate Room. The club will also perform at the Hart House U of T Festival of Dance on March 21–22.
“We try to break down each step, and by the end of it, you’ll know, like a, at least, like a 20- to 30-second piece of choreography,” said Muchuku. “You don’t have to be African… or have African parents, or be from the diaspora… if you’re just interested in dance, I definitely would recommend coming to one of our dance workshops.”
“If you want to have fun, if you want to learn more about the African continent, if you want to go and enjoy yourself, and just party or learn a new dance move, the ADC, that’s where to go,” said Cudjoe.
The ADC is more than just a club — it’s the home of rhythm at U of T.
No comments to display.