Imagine that you dream of being a dancer, but you don’t have the ability to hear. Moreover, you have limited access to resources to help you communicate. How will you be able to dance if you can’t even hear the music? A dance instructor in Burkina Faso has figured out how to do exactly that.
“Vibra-Signe”
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in western Africa. Its second-largest city is Bobo-Dioulasso, a major economic and cultural hub for the country. Ten years ago, in Bobo-Dioulasso, a dance tutor and choreographer named Yaya Sanou developed a new technique called Vibra-Signe. This new technique gave Sanou and his dancers international attention.
Sanou began dancing in the streets of Bobo-Dioulasso. He blended traditional dancing techniques with more modern styles. He noticed that students at the local school for children who were deaf and had other disabilities often had trouble socializing and participating in activities. Music and dancing are an important part of the culture in Bobo-Dioulasso. It bothered Sanou that these children couldn’t participate in it. He decided to challenge himself to teach them how to dance.
Sanou developed a technique called Vibra-Signe, which allows dancers who are deaf and hard-of-hearing to feel the vibrations of the music through the floor. Dancing barefoot, they can follow the music’s rhythm. At the same time, Sanou uses facial expressions, gestures, and physical touch to guide the dancers and communicate subtle changes in the music’s tempo and intensity. To create his routines, Sanou draws on traditional Burkinabe dance as well as Bobo, Peulh, Gourissi, and Djansa dances.
Why Does It Matter?
About 46,500 people in Burkina Faso are deaf or hard-of-hearing. But government support and funding for disabilities in the country is extremely limited. Many children don’t learn sign language and therefore don’t have a way to communicate. Those who do are taught American Sign Language (ASL) which is often not the same as the local language they speak at home. Moreover, deafness itself carries a stigma (feelings of negativity) in Burkina Faso. A recent study found that the majority of people in the country view deafness as something negative, a curse or spiritual punishment.
Sanou’s method is important because it allows people who are deaf and hearing-impaired to participate in socio-cultural activities from which they would otherwise be excluded. Participating in the dance troupe builds confidence and a sense of empowerment among the dancers. It gives them a way to express themselves, as well as improving their social skills.
Has It Been Successful?
The influence of the Vibre-Signe technique continues to spread. In 2016, Sanou founded the organization Art au-dela du Handicap and later the Cultur Lab ADH, a creative center for inclusive art. Sanou’s dance company, Fientan Compagnie, has gained international acclaim, performing throughout the Ivory Coast and as far away as Germany. Their show Adepte de mon etre (which can be translated into English to mean “Devoted to my being”) shares their story and their struggle for respect in their society. In 2023, Sanou also won a gold medal for dance creation at the Francophone Games in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.