Manga African Dance Brings The Cultural Traditions of Africa To Spivey Hall

Summer Evans | WABE

June 20th, 2019

Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt started her company “Manga African Dance” over 20 years ago in Atlanta.

Summer Evans / WABE

Thirty years ago Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt, a native of Idah in Kogi State, Nigeria, started her own dance company: Manga African Dance in Atlanta.

The company focuses on the many cultural traditions of Western, Central, and Southern Africa. Afegbua-Sabbatt began her career in the arts at a young age with drumming, dancing, and acting. After moving to Atlanta in 1988 with her husband, she decided the city needed an outlet to learn about African culture and dance. She wanted to teach her students about the authentic African culture, not just the perception of what it might look like.

In 1990, she decided to create Manga African Dance, a place where everyone could learn about indigenous African cultural arts through dance, drums, fashion, songs, and art.

“I like to tell the African stories through dance. Some of them [dances] are a direct influence of what’s going on within a community and you can reflect that in dance,” Afegbua-Sabbatt said.

Manga has performed on many stages, including at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games. Afegbua-Sabbatt is also in her 17th year as an instructor in Atlanta Ballet’s Dance Education Program at Fulton County’s West End Performing Arts Program.

“City Lights” host Lois Retizes spoke with Afegbua-Sabbatt and with one of her drummers, Jahbri Black, about their upcoming show at the Spivey Hall Summer World Music Festival. You can see the Manga African Dance perform at 10:15 a.m. at  Spivey Hall in Clayton State University on Wednesday.

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