Move · Videos · Dance · 12 min

Four Easy Afro Dance Moves from Kenya, Ghana, Angola and Nigeria

Four Easy Afro Dance Moves from Kenya, Ghana, Angola and Nigeria — video by Izzy Odigie Play · 11:53

Video by Izzy Odigie on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Choreographer Izzy Odigie teaches four Afro dance moves from Kenya, Ghana, Angola and Nigeria, including the zanku and a legwork variation with small hops, slowly with counts, then links them into a short routine to music. Easy enough for beginners.

  • 12 min
  • Beginner
  • Moderate impact
  • No equipment
  • Afrobeats

Good forDancing for funFun workouts

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Step by step 7

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Kenya: four counts stepping with the legs, four counts around, then add the arms. 0:40
  2. Ghana: knees pop out and in, arms at 90 degrees; tap the wrist, elbow and chest, then hook. 2:26
  3. Angola: a smooth step on 'and one' with a flick in the leg, then travel forward and back. 4:22
  4. Zanku: feet apart, knees knocked in, sitting low and moving to the side, not forward. 7:15
  5. Legwork: hop, then tap side to side and switch; slowly first, then in the zanku posture. 8:03
  6. Put it together: four of each move, eight counts of zanku and two of legwork. 10:03
  7. Dance the whole routine to the music. 10:32

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Zanku: knees knocked in and sitting low, moving to the side, not forward
  • It's fine if a move isn't perfect yet; keep practising and your body will get used to it

What it works Whole body

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 2 takes load

  • Knees takes loadknee pops, low zanku stance, legwork hops
  • Ankles & feet takes loadlegwork hops and side taps
  • Shoulders movesarm taps, hooks and swings
  • Hips movesleg flicks, steps around, zanku
  • Jumping or hopping. Impact goes through the ankles, knees and hips.

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Izzy Odigie; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety