Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt

Professional Biography

Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt is an exciting performing artist and innovative arts educator. A native Nigerian, she has been a dancer, musician and storyteller since elementary school. Since 1988, she has influenced authenticity in African dance by performing with the leading cultural dance companies in metro Atlanta: Extensions of Africa, African Dance Connection, Uhuru Dancers and Ballethnic Dance Company’s signature production, Leopard Tale.

Ms. Afegbua-Sabbatt co-founded Barefoot Ballet Manya and was co-director of Barefoot Ballet Children’s Dance Ensemble. As the founder of Giwayen Mata (translated from Hausa as “Elephant Leaders of the Women”), an all female percussion ensemble, she helped to broaden artistic expression for female artists by challenging the traditional practice of exclusively restricting drumming to male musicians.

As the founder and executive director of Manga African Dance, she regularly performs at corporate and community events and is a featured dancer in Manga’s signature performance in observance of the Osun Festival Celebration in Nigeria.

Her artist residencies, workshops and performances throughout Georgia demonstrate Ms. Afegbua-Sabbatt’s commitment to community-based arts education programs. She is listed on the rosters of Fulton County’s School Arts Program, Georgia Council for the Arts’ Residency Artists Directory, and Young Audiences. In addition, she taught dance at Emory University’s Master Dance Workshop and Georgia State University’s Continuing Education and Recreation Program.

Ms. Afegbua-Sabbatt is currently an instructor in Atlanta Ballet’s Dance Education Program with whom she teaches children and adults at the West End Performing Arts Centre. She also teaches children attending Atlanta’s Inn for Children. Through her activism, Manga touches more than 150 students of dance, drum and percussion each week - in community centers, schools and churches throughout Georgia.

Manga African Dance, Inc.

Manga's History and Mission Statement

Manga was founded in 1990 by Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt as a means of perpetuating the cultural traditions passed from generation to generation in her native Nigeria and throughout West Africa.Manga was incorporated in the State of Georgia in 1999 and received 501 ( c ) 3 tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service in February 2000.

Its high-energy repertoire includes dances and rhythms from Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, South Africa and Nigeria. The company performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games and dances frequently at community events sponsored by local non-profits, corporations, schools and private citizens. Manga was featured in the Georgia State University School of Music’s 2003 World Music Festival.

A culturally and racially diverse Board of Directors advises the organization and is guiding its development to becoming the premier dance organization in Atlanta, Georgia. Current membership is composed of 2 drummers, 12 adult dancers, 8 dancers in the children’s company and a growing number of students and apprentices.

Manga is dedicated to preserving indigenous African culture through dance education and performance. Manga’s core programming centers on two annual events:

• The Annual Master Dance Workshop
  Held in April, this event offers instruction to professional dancers and community dance students through a series of workshops conducted by Senegal’s Assane Konte, the award-winning Artistic Director of KanKouran West African Dance Company, based in Washington, DC. This year’s 5^th Annual Master Dance Workshop was well received by about 160 participants who attended seven classes, held for the third year at the dance studios of The Atlanta Ballet. The final session introduced Julien Babinga, a Congolese artist based in Paris, France. Mr. Babinga presented traditional dance forms and songs from his country previously unperformed by dance companies in metro Atlanta.

• The Annual Osun Festival
  is the company’s signature performance in celebration of Osun, a Yoruba Orisa and Goddess of the River and Unconditional Love. Originated in 1997 as an artist collaboration of dancer Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt and Adebisi Adeleke, a Master of the Talking Drum, the Osun Festival was developed through a grant from the City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs. A collage of drum, dance, mythology and theatre, the inspirational production is presented each August simultaneously with the traditional Osun Festival held in Oshogbo, Nigeria. Last year’s performance was held on August 9, 2003 at the Woodruff Arts Center’s 14th Street Playhouse. The 2004 performance is August 14th at 2pm and 7:30pm.

For more information contact:
Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt 
Phone: 404-725-4260; ramatusabbatt@aol.com