THE HISTORY OF THE GHANA DANCE ENSEMBLE
A highly successful collaboration between the Government’s Institute of Arts and Culture and The Institute of African Studies of the University of Ghana created the Ghana Dance Ensemble in October 1962, now celebrating it’s 60 anniversary. From its inception, the Ensemble was to be Ghana’s flagship to the professional, world-wide promotion of the music and dance heritage of Ghana under girded by solid field work and experimental research. The Ghana Dance Ensemble has a tradition of identifying young, talented artistes with mastery of particular dance forms from different parts of the country and training them to express a dazzling variety of dances. Many of these dancers have gone on to set up their own companies or worked with companies all over the world. The directors of the Ensemble have transformed dance in the everyday lives of Ghanaians to stage presentations. The handiwork of Professor Mawere Opoku the first Director was characterized by just enough choreography to showcase the classic movements of heritage dances. Professor Nii Yartey, his successor explored the dance vocabulary to dialogue with dance cultures from other parts of the world to bring the Ensemble into the area of contemporary dance. Sudsequent successors such as Mr. Emmanuel Ampofo Duodu, Mr. Ohh! Nii Kwei Sowah, Dr. Benjamin Obido Ayettey and Dr. Moses Nii Dortey contributed in diverse ways to advance the repertoire of the GDE. The current Ghana Dance Ensemble, in the hands of Dr. Aristedes Narh Hargoe, maintains the discipline of the early classics but continues to expand its repertoire and explore dance as an expression of contemporary issues. The Ensemble has had the privilege of exposure to other world class traditional artists, scholars, researchers, and theatre professionals. The current Director has reinvigorated and brought some sense of dynamism to the GDE.
The Ghana Dance Ensemble together with the Ballet African of Guinea Conakry in 1960s and 70s gave a world a breath-taking apercu of Africa aesthetics and cultures from the perspective of Africans. The Ensemble has served as a model for variety of amateur groups in Ghana and provided the core artistes, for the National Dance Company.
The Ghana Dance Ensemble’s broad mandate has led to a decision to spawn the National Dance Company with a core membership based at the National Theatre of Ghana which caters for numerous national assignments. The research, teaching and experimental emphases continue to underline the work of the Ensemble at the Institute of African Studies where thousands of Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian students and lovers of African dance and music have been introduced to the unforgettable dance culture of Ghana.
The Ghana Dance Ensemble comes to you as an institution established to conserve the exquisite, rich heritage of Ghana’s dance cultures and to stand for the exhilarating creativity engendered by the essence of Ghanaian Dance.
Ghana Dance Ensemble @ 60 years, provides the opportunity to reflect on the gains and sacrifices made of the past led by the thirteen pioneer members namely: Matilda Attiane, Patience Abena Kwakwa, Hilda Sowa, Helen Mensah, Edna Mensah, Beatrice Addo, Emmerentia Tamakloe and Lilly Acquah- Harrison on the part of the ladies and the men included Victor Clottey, Thomas Ekow Adi, William Ofotsu Adinku, Frank Kwasi Mensah and Emmanuel Ampofo Duodu. Later in 1963, Godfrey Odokwei Sackeyfio joined the Company as the fourteenth member. Besides reflecting on the past, the Ensemble is rebranding to be more relevant, as a national dance ensemble of the 21st Century to position itself to serve the contemporary needs of both the academia and industry.