Dressed in bold colors of black and orange, Bad Gyal Cassie’s students gathered together in a dance studio to record themselves performing the dance routine associated with A-Star’s hit song ‘Balaya’. As the owner of Beafrika dance school in Paris, Bad Gyal Cassie trains students of all ages in Afrodance style. With children, teenagers, and adults all gathered together, the group showcased their impressive skills with a routine that will have Music Man astonished by their talent and energy.
The performance began with the group dancing as one cohesive unit, their synchronization showing the hours of hard work that went into preparing the routine. Then, the dancers gathered around Cassie, cheering her on as she took center stage for a solo, before various groups of students came forward to show their individual talents. One thing that united every dancer was their passion and energy, which shone throughout, prompting one online viewer to comment, “This energy is immaculate.”
Released over 5 years ago, the video has now amassed over 16M views. Many watching the video shared how it brought them joy when they watched it over the COVID-19 quarantine. Others expressed their amazement at the talent the youngest performers displayed, keeping up with the adults with no trouble at all. While Cassie’s students have recorded other videos showing their interpretations of other popular Afrodance hits, they have also performed routines that Cassie has choreographed herself.
The most popular of these is a routine Cassie choreographed to Ckay’s ‘Love Nwantiti’. While a dance routine to the song had already gained traction on TikTok, Cassie’s version is a 13-minute Afrodance extravaganza. Throughout the performance, her students took turns in the spotlight, showing off their dance talents in energetic and fun choreography. It will be clear to all Music Man readers who watch the video just how much joy dancing brings to all of the performers involved.
While African dance has a long and varied history, with a strong sense of tradition and a range of specific styles having emerged from across the continent, it’s dancers like Bad Gyal Cassie who ensure the style continues to evolve, grow, and captivate audiences worldwide. With Afrodance thriving in the present day, especially through its prevalence in popular music videos, alongside Cassie’s videos going viral online, one thing is clear – this is a style of dance that continues to spark joy and admiration from viewers across the globe, and is sure to continue to do so for a long time to come.
Bad Gyal Cassie’s influence on the Afrodance scene continues to inspire dancers worldwide, and her students’ captivating performance has proven their exceptional talent. Their video, a source of joy for many during the COVID-19 quarantine, showcases the magic of movement and unity. To delve deeper into the world of Beafrika dance school and explore more of their incredible work, check out the useful links below.