By Davis Bugg

Dance offs: a dancing competition between two or more people. Dance offs can be competitive between the dancers and if there are judges, there can be that pressure of having the right technique, originality, and execution. Here in Senegal, they are fun, engaging, and friendly. In fact, they can be so much fun to the point that it can change something in your life. That could be a perspective, a mindset, or even just knowing how to move and control your body  as if you were Gru from the Despicable Me movie series.

The other day, we decided to have a little beach day and then go to a soccer game in order to become super fans of the Ajel de Rufisque soccer team. The beach had soft, warm, white sand with seashells scattered across the surface with 3-4 foot turquoise waves crashing along the shore. There were giant boulder like rocks that could be climbed in order to observe a breathtaking view of the water. At the beach, we bodysurfed and splashed each other for a while until a local came up to us just with the intention to introduce himself. The short interaction slowly turned into a conversation with the French speaking man to then turning into 5v5 beach soccer match. We all got VERY sunburnt to the point that we were no longer “sun-kissed,” we were sun-slapped. Oops… sorry mom. 

Once we hopped in the van to travel to the soccer stadium, the energy was already there. We were ready and excited to go see this game. Loud music was playing and a little dancing occurred. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the fans but not in a way that you would expect.  The stadium had probably 2-3,000 seats with sections for the home fans and the opponents.  It was older and had clearly seen a lot of games.  It was right in the middle of the developing town of Rufisque.  We drove up to the gate and our host was waiting for us with ticket bands.  We felt immediately welcomed. 

When we first got to our section, it looked like there wasn’t anymore space.  The seats were packed.  But we were immediately welcomed in and space was made.  Not to be separate and special but to be a part of it.  We were brought into the rhythm and the flow of being a fan.  It was very welcoming and inviting.  Even when I messed up the rhythm, I was brought back in.  It wasn’t a big deal to be a little off and a little goofy.  There was flexibility and acceptance.

We were treated as if we were all just one big family. The differences between all of us did not matter during the match, and it never really did. A few minutes had gone by and Ajel was winning by one goal. The drumming, dancing, and cheering had gained even more energy. I even joined in on the dancing to the point that I was even busting out some moves with this random guy that I never knew I could do in the first place. It was amazing and loads of fun.

But one might ask… why is this important? Why are we thinking about dance offs, the beach, and soccer? It’s because back home in the USA, things of this sort feel a little different. From what I have experienced, if you walked up to someone and introduced yourself randomly without reason, it would feel a little awkward in some sense. There would be some questioning. Also, if you were at a soccer game and you put something down, you would feel like you have to protect it because of the fear that it will be stolen from you. Growing up, this felt normal. But why is this normal to us back in the States? Being in Senegal and dancing in dance offs Senegalese style has made be realize that people in our society back home have lost some trust in each other.  

Back home, when someone walks up to us, we usually don’t assume that the intention is good. We usually assume that it is bad unless it is a friend or family member. We use stereotypes as an identity for people. I don’t think this should be normal even though for people back home, including myself, it can be.

To be honest, before coming to Senegal, I hadn’t really thought much about Africa.  I had learned about tribes and more ancient African history.  I was taught to perceive that tribal identities are kind of aggressive – like they were always fighting with each other and with others.  Walking into Senegal, I felt the complete opposite.  Instead of aggression, I experienced open arms and warm smiles.  The research I did before the trip had put doubt in my mind – people saying that it’s a very dangerous country where you’re likely to get mugged or to experience armed robbery.  But I can’t see that happening anywhere we’ve been.  I’m sure there are some sketchy places somewhere but not many and I don’t think they represent this place.  This made me think about paths in life.

Let’s say that you are put into a situation where there is a fork in the road. One road is unfamiliar and might lead to a nice developed neighborhood, the other street is also unfamiliar and not as developed but if you go down it you might expect violence and fear. Here in Senegal, there is that fork in the road all over the place except there is a huge difference from the imagined scenario above. Developed or not, there is light and an inviting rhythm down each path. Darkness is just… not a thing. People are very trustworthy and friendly. There are good intentions.

At the soccer game, someone’s water bottle fell and rolled down stairs. Everyone that saw it stopped what they were doing and made sure that the water bottle was returned to the original owner. I myself even left my backpack with a nice camera out in the crowd because I trusted the people. I felt safe. No one was judging what you would do and there was a strong sense of community. It was a friendly dance off which I had never experienced before. 

I dream of a future where there is one gigantic dance off where everyone is dancing showing off their crazy moves, where everyone is beating the drums, everyone is cheering, and that there is one big sense of a strong community. The world is cruel and that reality isn’t likely to change anytime soon. But we have to find a way to dance with each other more. 

What will your next dance off look like? Will it be creative fun and welcoming or will it be a flex and way of pushing other people down?  Here in Senegal, there’s only one path.  One dance.  One rhythm.