Moves that bring people together

They dance in the street, on wheels or in the studio, and millions of people are watching. We would like to introduce you to one female and two male influencers with African roots. Their performances are all about empowerment, cultural identity and the powerful ways in which dancing can bring people together.

Noel Robinson: one move and the crowd goes crazy

From the Christmas market in Munich to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles: Noel Robinson from Munich can be seen around the world, encouraging people to dance with him in the street and spreading joy with his spontaneous performances. His Tiktok handle is “noelgoescrazy” and he has close to 44 million followers who enjoy his dance videos. Noel’s original idea was to use social media to promote his dance classes. Nowadays he is considered a world star that collaborates with brands such as Adidas, that are drawn to him because of his positive attitude.

In many of his videos he suddenly takes off his hood or hat while dancing to reveal his trademark afro that is just as characteristic of him as his public dancing. The influencer who has Nigerian roots thinks of these two things as ways to respond to discrimination in a confident, humorous and relatable way. His videos in which he presents his hair are also statements of empowerment. “It frequently happens that Black mothers come up to me and say: ‘My son has hair like you and used to be ashamed, but watching your videos has made him love his hair.’ The effect it has is crazy,” Noel Robinson said in a TV interview. 

Oumi Janta: elegance on wheels

There was this one Instagram video that made Oumi Janta’s followers increase rapidly in summer 2020. The video shows her skating in Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin. However, the young woman who was born in Senegal and grew up in Germany does more than just skate. Oumi Janta is dancing on her roller skates, gliding over the tarmac elegantly and casually to music in a way that is so confident that even celebrities such as Alicia Keys reposted her video. Some people refer to her mixture of dancing, gymnastics and roller skating as jam skating, but Oumi Janta has her very own style that also features elements from artistic roller skating.

Oumi has as degree in industrial design, but skating has become not only her passion, but her job, too. After her video went viral, some big brands got in touch with the Senegalese who is also a model, and hired her for their advertising campaigns. She currently has more than 770,000 followers on Instagram, where it all began, as well as close to 50,000 followers on Tiktok. Oumi Janta thinks of her visibility as an opportunity. “I hope that I can inspire other Black girls and women in Germany and show them that change is happening, that they can succeed, and that they are beautiful and strong,” she said in an interview with an online magazine.

Isaac Kyere: beats that bring people together

He clicks play, takes one step forward, and the music begins. All eyes are on Isaac Kyere. The dancer and choreographer that is also known as Isaac M.I.K.makes the participants of his classes work up quite a sweat with African rhythms and energetic movement, and he never fails to amaze his followers on social media either. He has 11.5 million followers on Tiktok alone, where he regularly posts dance videos and choreographies. Some of his videos even feature celebrities such as the singer Jason Derulo. 

Anyone who wants to learn Isaac Kyere’s moves can book one of his workshops. His classes are a combination of dancing and workouts, and he has created his own brand, Afroletics. However, the concept is about more than just exercise in Isaac Kyere’s opinion. He wants Afroletics to become a global movement. “I think of dancing as a tool that allows me to give something back by getting people excited about exercise, helping them build confidence and raising awareness of African culture in the area of sports and fitness,” Isaac says.

He was born in Ghana and came to Germany as a child, where he discovered his passion for dancing at a youth club in Berlin’s Neukölln neighbourhood. “Dancing kept me out of trouble, it gave me structure and enabled me to live my dream,” Isaac recalls. He thinks of dancing as a form of expression that goes beyond words. “Dancing gave me a voice and an identity. It allows me to keep reinventing myself and to visualise emotions, stories and culture.”

Isaac Kyere believes that dancing has the power to bring together people from different backgrounds. This is also the goal of his African Dance Dictionary, an online encyclopaedia with information about dance styles from various African countries. His favourite style is Azonto from his native country Ghana. “This dance style makes me feel nostalgic and reminds me of family celebrations and childhood moments,” Isaac says. “Azonto brings tradition and modern urban culture together, in my opinion. It is a piece of home to me.” And he is eager to share this piece of home with others.