Kenyan troupe moves to a jubilant beat, welcoming dancers with disabilities

Dancing was once shameful for Pamela Achieng. She felt shy doing it, and embarrassed about her body.

Now Ms. Achieng, who contracted polio as a child in remote western Kenya, is a performer with Dance Into Space (DIS). The contemporary troupe features dancers with disabilities and those without.

“DIS was the first time I worked together with men, which I found hard at first, but now I love,” Ms. Achieng says. “Now I can work together with my team very freely.”

DIS members regularly perform in venues throughout Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to help expose the urban public to the troupe’s inclusive vision of dance. They also perform at open-air markets and other unconventional spaces along the shores of Lake Victoria in western Siaya County – a region that DIS founder Matthew Ondiege describes as a “melting pot of nature and creativity.” He adds that while Kenyans as a whole are becoming more accepting of disabled performers, social barriers persist.

Walter Akama, a dancer with albinism, has found his condition to be taboo in Kenyan society. In one rehearsal, two fellow dancers carry Mr. Akama as they reenact the common African myth that washing an albino person will restore their melanin.

Mr. Akama says it took only a couple of weeks for him to feel that he fits in with the DIS troupe. “There’s nothing for me to fear here,” he says. “My team is like my family.” 

Kang-Chun Cheng

TEAMWORK: Walter Akama, who has albinism, is carried by other dancers at a rehearsal.

Kang-Chun Cheng

ALL TOGETHER NOW: Pamela Achieng (center), who contracted polio as a child in remote western Kenya, is supported by other dancers during floorwork at a rehearsal.

Kang-Chun Cheng

BREAKING BARRIERS: Dance Into Space founder Matthew Ondiege (left) chats with Mr. Akama at a rehearsal. Mr. Ondiege says Kenyans have become more accepting of performers with disabilities.

Kang-Chun Cheng

DANCE PARTNERS: Walter Akama (right) helps Maulid Owino stretch before performing. DIS is a Kenya-based contemporary dance troupe.

Kang-Chun Cheng

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Ms. Aluoch and Mr. Akama wait backstage just before a performance. Ms. Aluoch says it has been a fun and revealing journey working with dancers with disabilities.

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