Dance to be heard

Rafael Palacios and the dancers of Sankofa Danzafro offer a powerful dance class that transcends cultural boundaries and delves into the rich tapestry of Afro-Colombian traditions, merging them with Afro-contemporary techniques. Starting with an exploration of traditional Afro-Colombian dances from the North and South Pacific regions, and the Urabá Antioqueño region, the class moves on to blend these rhythms with contemporary influences.

He was born in Medellín to an immigrant father from Chocó, who introduced him to dance at the age of 6. Choreographer, teacher and dancer researcher of traditional, contemporary and urban Afro dance. His experience as a dancer in Africa and Europe served as the basis for founding Sankofa Danzafro in 1997 as a space dedicated to training, research, dissemination, and artistic creation. Winner of the National Dance Award from the Ministry of Culture in 2008, he also received the National Arts Award in 2017, awarded by the University of Antioquia and the Ministry of Culture. Graduate in Basic Dance Education from the University of Antioquia, Specialist in Southern Epistemologies, from the Latin American Council of Social Sciences-CLACSO. He is also a specialist in Afro-Latin American Studies at the Afro-Latin American Research Institute, Harvard University. He holds a Master’s degree in Education and Human Rights from the Universidad Autónoma Latinoamericana.