Malike Sidibe
I met Ama Rouge a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher, at a university dance class. Having performed internationally on stage, she has been requested to dance by Royal families and has also performed at my favourite London dance theatre Sadler’s Wells. From that day I came to learn that her talents and energy have no limits. So when we were preparing for our traditional Ghanaian wedding I was thrilled when she accepted to perform for us. She created a high-energy routine with her dance partner (both Beyoncé and Tina Turner would have wanted to be part of it) to an Afrobeats track getting us all in the mood to hit the dance floor.
A few weeks later as we got back to preparing the French wedding we were listening to songs trying to work out what ours was! We couldn’t agree. However, when James Brown, “I Feel Good” came on, we could not stop dancing and laughing. I then had the idea to combine it with Nina Simone “Feeling Good” as it is simply beautiful, and it would give us the opportunity to start slow and build. Now that we had our song we needed to know how to move together gracefully.
Enter Ama stage right...
Tell us what led you to working with Sammy Aki?
As long time supporters of each other, along with Sammy's desire to have classes with someone who would make herself and Anael feel at ease, working together seemed like a natural choice and was the perfect opportunity to spend more time together!
Fernando B Arroteira
How would you describe your style?
An influence of all the styles that move me - Latin, Jive, Afro, Lyrical, Tango. But most importantly I like to get a feel for who each couple are - their dynamic, their musical choice - this is always the starting point for my choreography.
What makes your wedding first dance classes unique and stand out compared to others in the industry?
Authenticity. I like to keep each couple at the centre of the choreography I create. If they feel inclined to, I give them the opportunity to contribute to the choreographic process. And as wedding season approaches, the weather begins to improve so I often choose to work with my couples in outdoor spaces; mainly parks. I've found that this introduces another element of fun and allows the couple to become accustomed to dancing together in front of others, which means by the time their special day arrives they're completely unaware of anyone else and totally immersed in their dance. I'm always open to working to each couple's needs.
If you could give your couple any piece of advice what would it be?
Let go, let your bodies do, stay open and keep laughing.
We met up once or twice a week in different parks in London, finding secret spots and having the best time while learning how to move together. The choreography was based on jive, tango and disco, fused together to create a fun and romantic dance. In the final days we went to a dance studio so we could then use the mirrors and see what was actually happening.
We both loved every moment of the preparation and the dance itself but what we love the most is that what we learnt will stay with us a lifetime . The three best and actual investments we made for our wedding - no1 Wedding dance lessons no2 Wedding video No3 Wedding suit.
Don't dance lessons with Ama sound fantastic? Please find her contact details amarouge@gmail.com
Amelia Karlsen