Meet Nii-Tete Yartey, Ghana’s Extraordinary Dance Director

It has been 4 years since Nii-Tete Yartey took over as director of one of Ghana’s most prestigious artistic institutions, the National Dance Company of Ghana (Ghana Dance Ensemble).

As one of the youngest directors to hold such a position in Africa, Nii has envisioned his work in his field as a re-contextualization of traditions, with a particular focus on the development of dance theatre and contemporary Ghanaian dance.

Nii-Tete Yartey is the son of Ghana’s foremost dance choreographer and teacher, the late Professor Francis Nii-Yartey.

Over the years, Nii-Tete Yartey, has worked on Projects like ‘Diema’, ‘Aza’, Panafest, ‘Alkebulan’s awakening’ and the Ghana at 60 celebrations, where he drew from the many regional dances to beautifully express Ghana’s historic and contemporary dance traditions.

It has come as no surprise that he will be the one in the director’s positions for the National Theatre’s 25th Anniversary production, ‘Agoro’, a collaboration between, the National Theatre of Ghana and three of its prestigious resident companies, (The National Dance Company, National Symphony Orchestra and National Drama Company) and Ohio University and Azaguno, Inc. from the United States of America (creators of Diema 2015 and AZA2016).

The exciting international festival and concert dubbed ‘AGORO’ will be performed live at the National Theatre of Ghana from June 25 – 30, 2018, as part of the 25thAnniversary celebrations of the National Theatre of Ghana.

AGORO, a concert of New African Music, Dance and Drama will be an educational and transformational cultural experience for all.

According to Nii, the celebration will bring back excerpts from ‘Diema’ and ‘Aza’ to be performed by The National Dance Company, National Symphony Orchestra, National Drama Company, International Artists representing the United States and Canada in addition to several of Ghana’s own nationally and internationally recognized groups.

It will also feature new works by prof Paschal Younge, composer and prof Zelma Badu-Younge

AGORO will mark the third collaboration of its kind organized by the National Theatre of Ghana, Ohio University and Azaguno Inc.

As part of this program, a 3– day Symposium and Workshops focused on the theme: “ARTS, HEALTH, and WELLNESS” will also be organized on from 25th to 27th June in collaboration with the Ministry Tourism, Arts and Culture; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Youth and Sports; Ministry of and Gender, Children and Social Protection; University of Ghana (Korlebu Teaching Hospital) and Psychiatric Hospital.