Imaginative impressions and amapiano with attitude

The Afrocats and kittens on our Youth of the World Creative Expression Saturday programme supported by BBC Children in Need are only ever a hop, skip and a jump away from learning something new, and on a recent session they were put through their paces learning some new dance steps for an exciting summer performance.

On our project sessions, we create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and part of the Afrocats community.

And we use the arts such as drama and cultural dance as a platform for kickstarting young people’s imaginations and boosting their self confidence, no matter their background or ability level.

Project assistant and project-producer-in-training Olivia said of what she hopes everyone achieves during the session:

'By the end of today, our young people will feel more confident and have picked up something new, whether a dance move or speak to a new person – and there's already lots of fun, smiles, and laughter!'

First up, everyone introduced themselves and got straight into some warmups, and then some interactive games.

Creative facilitator Beatrice then brought in some improvisation exercises, and everyone had tons of fun making crazy animal and alien impressions, then recreating movie trailer scenes from 'Transformers' and 'Aladdin.'

Have a watch below to see what everyone got up to.

Our programme isn’t just for the young ones, and it was heartening to see parents getting involved in the dance and drama too.

Take a look below at the happy faces all round – we’re sure you wouldn’t be able to resist joining in!

Everyone then started making moves by warming up with some Latin steps with Bad Bunny’s 'Baile Inolvidable' and leading into a mix of amapiano, capoeira, and viral pop belters.

The cultural phenomenon of amapiano has been gaining a huge worldwide following lately, with emerging artists such as Tyla’s 'Water' and TitoM and Yuppe’s 'Tshwala Bam' taking over millions of TikTok feeds during the past year.

And so putting their best feet forward, our young people (and even some of the Afrocats team) rehearsed for a one-of-a-kind performance at a central Manchester location in June for Refugee Week, so be on the lookout for more details – you won’t want to miss it.

We wrapped up with full hearts and happy farewells, so until the next session, keep on having fun and making moves!

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