Alawi Saidi (*April 1994), known as Tadhi is a Tanzanian Performing Artist, Choreographer and Yoga instructor. He is the co-founder and creative director of Nantea Dance Company based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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"I am a dance educator, performing artist, choreographer and yoga instructor with certification of each three-year-trainings at Africa Yoga Academy in Nairobi Kenya and Muda Africa Dance School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
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My roots lay in Tanzanias Makonde-tribe. It is one of the strongest tribes which is based in southern Tanzania, a tribe rich in a variety of dances. I believe that me being a dancer is partly because of the spirits that I carry within me as a heritage.
In Dar es Salaam where I was born and where I grew up most of the years, many people believe in dance as a part of ceremonies, nightlife and different events for enjoyment. Therefore dance here cannot be seen a lot in other ways.
For me dance is a tool that I can use to express my feelings and thoughts, sending messages to people without using verbal languages, languages that can exclude too many in too many different ways. I dedicate my art works to the communities surrounding me as to face and show common challenges. Other works, I do to help people out of my communities to change their perspective. I am sharing my experiences and representing my thoughts in my works. As a black African artist I am
finding myself in an artscene which is mainly influenced by European perspectives which means that I am probably experiencing the difficulties of this scene in a different way but also enrich it in many ways. Through my work in different fields like yoga, dance choreographing and filmmaking with people around my age, many from a similar background like myself, I can see the support we can give each other and make our voices stronger.
My vision is to portray different forms of beauty through Arts, as a mean of creating a positive impact and contributing to the development of Tanzanias Arts Scene."
about tadhi alawi
