“Dance means life to me because it made me find my purpose; why I was created and where am headed,” says Robert Ndungu, aka Robba. He is a dance instructor and a member of the DICE CREW Kenya. He has also appeared in numerous music videos, the latest being in Alice Kimanzi’s newest song, ‘Yesu Wangu’.
“I was inspired to get into dance by my Science teacher back in primary school. He used to do freestyle dance as he taught, he was really good and that motivated me to try and copy what he was doing. From there, I ran with it.”
Robba who has a God-given talent to dance, draws his inspiration from gospel music and his friends who are really good at dancing. He also does research on social media, which helps him learn new steps, diversify his movement and also come up with fresh styles. Consistency is key in dance. The more you practice, the better you become. “I am also in a dance movement, ‘Dance Mtaani.’ We primarily use dance as a tool to reach different communities; through dance sessions and talks.”
So what does it take to be a dancer? “You have to be passionate about dance. It is also very important to be open to learning and getting challenged. Have fun while at it, enjoy your unique body movement.” Dance is always evolving and a dancer needs to learn, unlearn and relearn what they know. “Dance has opened many doors for me. I never knew that one day I would pay my bills through dance. I have traveled a lot across the country because of dance and networked as well.”
As with every career, dance can be demanding and exhausting as sometimes you get overbooked especially when you get many clients at the same time. Dance also teaches one patience and to especially trust the process. You need to be patient enough to especially learn hard moves. “The dance industry has grown. Different organizations have started incorporating dance in marketing. Kenyan social media has grown and young people are able to make a living out of dance. However, there is still a lot that needs to be done. Many Christian dancers switch to secular because they have been hurt or frustrated by the church. It seems that dance is appreciated more in the secular world than in the church.”
Robba wants to travel the world through dance and use it as a tool to reach out to different communities. Upcoming projects? “I am working on telling stories through dance by shooting short dance films with beautiful storylines. I would also like to do outreach programs in schools through missions. I am also working on having a dance show on my YouTube channel.”
Words of advice to those aspiring to be dancers? “Find out your purpose and why you want to dance. Once you do so, dance will be easy and fun for you. Always work hard and always practice”
Follow @robbert_pri on Instagram
Refresh 