Don't make fear stop you from being you.
This is an international collaboration between Kenya & Germany, great artist @elkewaibel the beautiful lady , @leventcanseven the producer behind the magical music.
It was an honour working with you to many more.
@ubumuntu.artsfestival
#contemporarydancer #dancersconnect #dancecollaboration #dancefestival #dancefilmfestival #contemporaryart #dancersofinsta #danceteachers #vqdc
Who is a dance teacher beyond the class?
I’ve been sitting with this question a lot lately.
Because in a dance class, a dance teacher doesn’t only create steps. They are a mirror, a guide, a disruptor, and sometimes even a healer. And whether we acknowledge it or not, the way we show up in the room shapes far more than just the final piece on stage.
A good role model in this space teaches without always speaking. It’s in how they hold space, how they listen, how they push, and how they protect the vulnerability that comes with teaching and creating. It’s in reminding dancers that they are not just bodies executing movement, but individuals carrying stories, emotions, and lived experiences that deserve care and respect.
I’ve come to understand that teaching and choreography is not only about composition, but about responsibility. The responsibility to nurture, to challenge, to call out complacency, and to cultivate discipline without breaking spirit. To lead in a way that doesn’t just produce great dancers, but grounded human beings.
Because the truth is, dancers don’t only carry choreography, they carry the environments they were shaped in.
In an industry that can sometimes prioritize output over process, visibility over depth, and speed over intention, the presence of a grounded choreographer shifts everything. It creates safety where there was fear. It builds confidence where there was doubt. It gives permission to be honest, to fail, to explore, and to grow.
And that impact doesn’t end when the music stops.
It shows up in how dancers see themselves.
In how they create.
In how they lead others.
So the question is no longer just “what are we creating?”
But “who are we becoming in the process?”
Because long after the stage lights fade, the real work lives on in people.
And that, to me, is the real choreography.
🎥 : @vince_odhis
Dancers: @cjjonnes & @am_raychell #DanceLeadership #ArtWithPurpose #CreativeImpact #vvyque RandomClassClip #ow
Two weeks into the residency and the progress speaks for itself!📈 From practicals to powerful mentorship seeing these versions come to life is incredible. Can't wait to see the final results at the end of the program!✨
#ResidencyLife#creative ativegrowth#sanaalabartistresidency #loststateofmind
Who is an artist without the art?
There is a quiet erosion happening one not of talent, but of intention. We are witnessing a generation where visibility is often mistaken for value, where numbers, likes, follows, payouts have become the new currency of validation. The craft, once sacred, now negotiates for space beneath algorithms and applause.
Consistency, once a discipline of devotion, is slowly mutating into performance for acceptance. The artist bends, adapts, reshapes not in pursuit of growth, but in fear of disappearance. In this pursuit, authenticity becomes negotiable, and the work begins to echo what is demanded rather than what is deeply true.
Yes, survival is real. Bills must be paid. The world does not pause for passion alone. But the question remains at what cost does the artist sustain themselves? And for how long can the art exist when it is constantly compromised for immediacy?
Because history has shown us this: when the craft is honored, refined, and protected, it carries within it an enduring value one that outlives trends and outgrows transactions. The art, when true, does not chase money; it attracts it.
So again, who is an artist without the art?
#vvyque #artandculture
We kicked off Sanaa Lab Cohort 2 last week with something a bit different from the usual studio sessions, first aid training.
Big thank you to Joke for coming through and guiding the artists. We got into practical basics like recovery positions, handling fractures, and how to respond in emergency situations things we don’t always think about, but are so important in our spaces.
It was a really good way to start the journey, grounding the artists not just in their craft, but in awareness and responsibility for themselves and each other.
Appreciate you, Joke 🙏🏾
The beautiful part about teaching dancers is how each and every dancer interprets musicality in movement.
Sanaa Lab Artist Residency has just started and I took the first class to teach improvisation and body exploration.
#vvyque
#sanaalabartistresidency
#lostartscentre
Day 1 was breathtaking.
We were honored as Lost State of Mind to be the team bringing energy into the ESOMAR conference and we brought our A-game.
In between the powerful sessions and deep insights, we created space for people to pause, move, and reconnect. Because learning lands differently when the body and mind are both present.
The conversations were rich, the perspectives eye-opening especially around what it takes to build and sustain businesses in Africa, and how Gen Z is reshaping the way we think, work, and grow.
Grateful to be part of a day filled with learning, connection, and intention.
#ESOMAR #ConferenceEnergizers #CreativeFacilitation #CorporateWellbeing #LostStateOfMind HumanCenteredWork
My journey in dance has always been shaped by a desire to share knowledge and open pathways for others. As I grew within the art industry, I became increasingly aware of how limited access to training and mentorship restricts the growth of many emerging dancers, particularly within underserved communities. This awareness shaped my commitment to teaching not simply as choreography, but as a tool for empowerment, dialogue, and social transformation. Through my work, I create spaces where dancers can learn, experiment, and develop their artistic voices with confidence. We use our movement and bodies as our voice to tell lived stories, challenge silence, and impact change within society. Teaching, for me, is a continuation of the dance itself: a way of expanding access, strengthening artistic ecosystems, and equipping the next generation of dancers to engage critically, creatively, and responsibly with the world around them.
In Juba, South Sudan, I worked as a Dance Consultant and Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) practitioner at GREDO to deliver psychosocial support to conflict-affected children and adolescents, including street-connected youth and former child soldiers. Many participants were living with unresolved trauma resulting from armed conflict, displacement, and prolonged exposure to violence.
The intervention utilized dance as a trauma-informed, non-verbal psychosocial tool to establish safe, inclusive spaces where participants could express emotions, release stress, and reconnect with their bodies. By leveraging movement as a universal language, the sessions supported emotional regulation, reduced anxiety, and fostered peer connection in a context where verbal expression was often limited due to fear, stigma, or language barriers.
Impact:
Participants demonstrated improved emotional awareness, increased social interaction, and a greater sense of safety within group settings. The program contributed to strengthened coping mechanisms and psychosocial resilience, supporting participants’ gradual reintegration into community life. Beyond individual outcomes, the sessions promoted collective healing and trust-building, reinforcing community-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) approaches in a post-conflict environment in South Sudan.
This case highlights the effectiveness of creative, culturally adaptable interventions in humanitarian settings, demonstrating how dance movement therapy can complement traditional psychosocial support services to restore dignity, well-being, and hope among vulnerable youth.
