Rachel de Garang 

Rachel de Garang holds a (BA Hons) Dance Studies from Bath Spa University. She is well known as one of the South of England’s leading practitioners of African Dance styles, with a proven ability to promote intercultural learning. She is keen to create more diversity in dance teaching and learning in the region, and is currently developing a ‘Dance Dialogue’ pilot program, aimed at dancers and dance teachers to experience different dance styles.

Originally from the Sudan, Rachel teaches a fusion of African dances with influences from East, West and North Africa and Brazil. Her unique and dynamic style, generosity, passion and commitment to dance, makes her workshops fun, energetic and accessible to all. She has a knack for getting even the most shy and reluctant participants to dance and ”shake their booty’ confidently!

Her preference is to work with live musicians, as she believes it conveys the true nature of the inter-relationship between the drummer and the dancer in African influenced dance styles.

She is a member of Foundation for Community Dance, Dance UK and ADAD. Her other main commitments are as Director on the Board of Imayla (urban-rural-creative-connections) and Chair of Tribe of Doris (many cultures-one race).

Rachel holds Public and Personal Liability, an enhanced CRB certificate and professional membership of the Foundation of Community Dance (FDC).

Jenny Rintoul

Jenny started dancing in 1998, with Rachel de Garang. Following regular dance training and time spent dancing in Togo and Ghana, she began performing withDansmala in 2001 and started teaching dance in 2003. Jenny taught regularly in Devon and Cornwall throughout this period, with the Devon-based drum collectiveAfricussion. Following the completion of a PGCE in 2004, Jenny devised and taught African Fusion and Body Percussion courses at FE colleges in Somerset and Bristol, and choreographed for student productions. As well as dance in practice, Jenny is interested in the theory of dance and has presented on gender and ethnicity in dance as part of Bristol Feminist Network lecture series in 2009.

Jenny is interested in fusion dance forms, and over the past two years with African Sambistas she has combined forms of African, Samba and Body Percussion in her teaching. She delivers dance workshops in primary and secondary schools, as well as workshops for school teachers on the development of dance within the curriculum. Jenny delivers workshops for both beginners and professional dancers (including Attik Dance Company in 2010), and at various venues and events, including festivals (such as Glastonbury festival 2009 and 2010); she has recently worked on the television production SKINS, series four, as choreographer and dancer.