Essence

After World War III, in 2031, a young man fights his way across a desolate American terrain to see his family and to rediscover the very essence of life -- water.

Drawing from traditional West African dances and her own exploration of various European dances, Germaine Acogny developed the technique named for her: the Acogny technique. More than 50 years spent on the international stage and in teaching young dancers in Senegal and around the world have given Acogny, now 80, an iconic status across an entire continent.