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Entertainment of Monday, 26 October 2015

Source: Maxwell Amoofia

Most Ghanaian dancers are proud – World Dance Champion

Olando Amoo Olando Amoo

Proficient Germany-based Ghanaian Dance instructor, Olando Amoo has warned young Ghanaian dancers to be humble and disciplined if they want to excel globally.

According to the owner and director of Dynamic Dance Studios in Germany, most dancers he has met in Ghana lack the needed humility and discipline.

The creator of the world recognised ‘Dynamic Dance’ who is in Ghana for a dance workshop, added that he could not have achieved his dreams of becoming a world champion without the cardinal principles of discipline, humility and focus.

‘If you come and you think you are already good, people don’t even look at you…we don’t want show-off guys over there (Germany)….Everybody is good in Europe’

Olando Amoo who appeared on the Xclusive chat with Real Eugene segment of the ‘The Big Exclusive Show’ on Radio Univers 105.7fm said, dancers in Germany and all around Europe are relatively humble and willing to learn than our dancers in Ghana.

‘They are all very humble and I think we are too-know. It doesn’t help you to make money and it doesn’t help you anywhere’

For someone who lost his father at the age of 5 and grew up sleeping on the streets of Accra, humility must have played a vital role in his success story.

Though the third runner up at the World Cup dance competition had a family in Ghana back then, he disclosed that he didn’t want to stay with his mum and siblings because there was chaos at home and also his mum was against his desire to take dance as a career. When asked if he regrets the decision to sleep on the streets, Olando responded by saying that the streets made him who he is now and he is proud of it.

‘I admit that I grew up in a ‘kubolor’ community but you know what, that makes me who I am today. I grew up in a very bad community but I learnt out of it and it made me stronger and stronger.’

Olando Amoo started dancing on the streets from a very tender age. At the age of 13, he choreographed on a number of shows for Hi-Life legend Kojo Antwi. Inspired by dancers like Adjetey Sowah, Olando gave up everything to achieve his dreams of becoming a world dance champion.

He admitted that living on the streets was very difficult and he usually depended on female friends to get food to eat.

The German Dance Champion decided to leave the shores of Ghana for Europe because he felt there was no way he could become a world champion if he continues to stay in Ghana. Ever since he left Ghana, Olando Amoo has attained success globally with the art of dancing and has won several awards.

2004 German Masters / TAF with "Dynamic Dance"

2004 4th place World Cup / International Dance Organization with "Dynamic Dance"

2005 & 2006 Winner of the European Cup in Mills / Netherlands with "Dynamic Dance"

2008 North German Champion / Buster Groove as a choreographer of "OLANDOs Youngstars"

2004 winner of the Germany Cup / TAF as a choreographer of "Crazy Crocodile Company"

2005 German Masters / TAF as a choreographer of "Crazy Crocodile Company"