By Amaany Clarke
This month, we got to sit down and interview amazing Cumbe teaching artist Eto’o Tsana about creating her own dance style, finding her confidence and helping her students find their freedom. Today we honor and share her story with you.
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What would you say is your origin story? Who is Eto’o?
Well, my name is Eto’o Tsana and I am a Congolese Nueyorican performing artist – a dancer, singer, choreographer and dance educator – born and raised in Harlem, NY. I started my teaching career with Cumbe back in 2017. At Cumbe, I currently teach a style that I titled KongoBeats, which is a blended class of traditional and urban Congolese dance moves from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.
What is your connection to Kongobeats? Can you give us a brief history of the style?
KongoBeats is my own creation. I wanted to honor my roots, but I realized that I felt somewhat restricted. There is a huge responsibility when you are not born somewhere, but are representing that culture. There is a sense of keeping to the tradition that has to be respected. But I wanted to incorporate my other dance training experiences into what I do in Congolese dance. KongoBeats is a class that gives me the flexibility to do urban styles of Congolese dance and traditional styles of Congolese dance. It is Afrobeats with the traditional elements, but strictly Congolese music and dance styles. That is Kongobeats. But once in a while you can get a Gwara Gwara or Shaku in my classes as urban styles of African dance are all intertwined.
I love the idea of creating and naming your own style, yet still honoring the styles and traditions that make up your personal style. What is it about Kongobeats, or dance in general, that fulfills you?
My favorite styles of dances are definitely those that are Afro-rooted. I find total ecstasy in Afro-Caribbean dance styles from Haiti and Cuba, but feel as if I transcend spiritually when I do traditional Congolese dances. Nonetheless, I always love when I am able to create Afro-Contemporary pieces because in this genre of dance, I can create my own rules with my own structure. Eto’o Tsana’s technique if you will.
Dance doesn’t just fulfill me. Dance is me. I can’t imagine being still. I fear the day when I would no longer be able to move or dance. The melancholy that I already feel of the thought when I am no longer the dancer.
Martha Graham, the legendary dancer and choreographer said it best, “A dancer dies twice – once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” Dance for me is life.
That’s a beautiful quote. Who, like Martha Graham, were some of your favorite teachers or inspirations?
My first introduction to movement started in the non-studio dance room called “My Living Room” with my mom (laughing). And through her I learned and was exposed to social dances in gatherings and events that she took me to. So, my first inspiration was my mom, even if she offered a whack upside the head when I didn’t get a step right. She never gave up on me even when I would give up on myself.
I then started dancing in the Arts Connection program in my elementary school in Harlem. In that program, Carolyn Webb stands out as the person who was most influential in my desire to become a professional dancer. Her assistant, Esther Grant, was definitely my eye candy for West African dance. During my teenage years, Violeta G. the artistic director from Keep Rising to the Top was also an inspiration because she led me to dig into my creative choreographic side.
Are there any new styles of dance you're interested in digging deeper into?
A true dance student never stops researching and going to the source of their craft’s origin. And a true dancer never stops developing their style. Everyone gets into their fields for a purpose. Some of us will never reach that super stardom that we dream of (although, stardom can manifest itself in different ways), and some of us will not have 100K or more followers on social media. But that does not take away from the knowledge that one possesses. I believe that I have a lot to learn when it comes to Congolese dance itself as both Congos have hundreds of ethnic groups with different dances and rhythms. It might take me another lifetime to learn them all. In the meantime, I continue to go to the source for more resources and inspiration. I also continue to develop and practice what I already know, which is a lot. So, please give me some more Congolese dance (laughs).
More Congolese dance it is! What would you say has been the biggest challenge you've overcome as a dancer?
My biggest challenge that I have overcome as a student was showing people that I knew how to dance, and dance well. I remember as a young woman, students from the Modern or Ballet dance clubs made hurtful jokes about me being the ‘African’ dancer. I always felt like I did not belong to their dance world because I did not specialize in European-rooted styles of dance. I recall buying the Backstage newspaper for auditions, but never finding any that I felt I could fit into. And when I looked into dance companies, I felt that I was not technically trained enough to join, so I never bothered auditioning.
Even when I started professionally performing and teaching African dance, I struggled (and still do) because I was repeatedly told that my skin complexion did not fit the ‘norm’ for an ‘authentic’ African dancer.
Now when I speak to new dancers or those who say they have never danced before I tell them to just breathe. I ask people to get out of their heads. I feel that we need to go back to our innocent beginnings when we were children. Fear and self-doubt is something that is learned with time as we experience life, but when children are little they are not concerned about certain things that adults are concerned about. I love working with adults because I like to internally take us back to our beginnings when we had no worries or baggage. I love to feel free. I love to move my body freely. I love that I don’t think about challenges when I dance anymore. Freedom is what my classes are about.
Dance is truly an act of freedom. I love that. And as you know, here at Cumbe we like to tell our students to feel the joy when they dance. And it’s truly been a joy talking with you Eto’o. I have one final question to leave you with.
What has teaching at Cumbe meant for you?
Cumbe to me means community. Cumbe is the preservation of culture. Cumbe is a platform on which different generations can continue to leave their footprints.
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To feel the joy and freedom with the beautiful Eto’o, check her out every Friday at 7:30pm ET for her Kongobeats virtual class.