The first of five articles documenting a journey to Senegal in West Africa, November 2017.
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In three days I travel to Senegal, a place that has shaped my life perhaps more than anything else. This will be my fifth trip, yet a long overdue trip that has become a reality only through faith and courage, looking past various obstacles and reasons why I can’t, and just doing it anyway. My first journey to Senegal was twenty years ago. On this 20th anniversary I am joined by my 19-year-old daughter, whose father is Senegalese. This is her third trip, but her first since ten years ago. A lot gets lost between ages 9 and 19. Thus, this serves as a reunion with her Senegalese roots and family, which are just as much family to me. And after years of deep stress, disillusionment, and volatility in our mother-daughter relationship, I also hope this trip brings some healing.
In all previous trips to Senegal, I’ve studied dance and rhythm with numerous excellent teachers. This time, I’ll be teaching and presenting my belly dance fitness format at Serena Fitness and the Olympique Club, and enjoying any other dance art exchanges to be had. I return as the more complete artist I now am, wide open to how this will manifest.
As an artist, I’ve immersed myself in many artistically renown destinations — Barcelona, London, Paris, and Cairo — to name a few. Senegal’s artistic scene is equally rich, but with significantly less resources. Dance, music, and art are woven into daily life — on the beach, on the bus, during lunch, anytime or anywhere. Much of this is thanks to the legacy of Senegal’s first president, Leopold Senghor, who graduated from the University of Paris and encouraged the arts throughout his 20-year leadership.
Extending from this cultural dynamism is a rare joie de vivre and quality of life that does not involve material wealth. “Poor but happy,” my Senegalese sister, Aida, says. There is abundant energy toward connecting with others and reinforcing relationships, community, and gratitude. There is abundance in enjoying fresh and natural food together. There is happiness in the way people of all nations are made to feel welcome. Positive energy from the heart is a powerful current that runs through the culture.
In Senegal I often hear that my heart is very clean. At first I wondered how they could know this. Senegalese are always energy scanning, and intuition is not subverted, as it is in most modern cultures.
I sure hope all of this hasn’t changed. Modernization, especially on Western terms, has a way of depleting these alternative forms of wealth. Like any journey on the horizon, it’ll be interesting to see how reality compares with what is anticipated.
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This journey continues with the next article in the series: https://medium.com/@planetsuzanna/the-arrival-a39825e74b7e. If you’ve found this article valuable, please follow. Your comments are welcome too. Many thanks! — Suzanna
