As all Bucknell students know, the walk over to Tustin Dance studio is a long one. Today I was going to observe Professor and dancer Adjetey Klufio host the Afrobeats masterclass open. Adjetey Klufio is an assistant professor of dance at Goucher College. He is also the founder of Afro’ndani, and the co-founder of Osagyefo Dance Company. Before becoming a professor, he received an M.F.A. in choreography from Wilson College and a B.F.A. in dance performance and choreography from Towson University(Goucher.edu). In fact, this is not the first time Bucknell has seen his face. Years back, he performed at Bucknell with Soul in Motion. I arrived a few minutes late and I could hear familiar music from the stairwell. I walk inside and see a crowd of students. They were all in athletic wear, with water bottles lining the backwall; I was in jeans with only my phone accompanying me. I decided to watch the instruction. At first nothing made sense. Each move they were learning had no correlation to the next. He had students go up and down the floor doing the same moves.
To be very honest, these dancers all looked like they were pro. They were able to keep up with his pace and copy his moves. He then played a very popular song, Kakalika. The song means “Roach”, which is displayed throughout the dance in hand motions. Sitting down, I started moving my hips. I loved this song. Every move he had just taught in bits and pieces, came together beautifully. He used an eight count as a way for students to follow the beat and know when to start. At the end, professor Dustyn Martincich and I performed the dance along with students. I was surprised at how much I picked up from just watching. Overall this was a great experience. I loved the blend of culture and dance. Students were smiling through it all, and professor Adjetey Klufio was a great instructor.
–Ahmed Omo ’28