Burkina Faso’s Deaf Dancers Feel Music Through Vibrations
Saturday, September 19, 2026161 words3 minutes333 reads
Fientan Company, based in Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, brings together deaf and hard-of-hearing dancers. Founded in 2018 by choreographer Yaya Sanou, it uses Vibra-Signe, a technique that helps dancers follow music through more than hearing.
The technique mixes sign language, visual gestures, expression, physical touch, and body vibrations. During barefoot dance, vibrations rise from the floor. Sanou can tap dancers’ bodies to help them catch the tempo. He says sight helps performers see and carry out movements, while signs can sign the dance.
The idea began earlier, in 2006, when Sanou saw few cultural and sports activities for deaf people in his city. Dance workshops made a positive impact. The project grew into an association and then Fientan, which made performers’ work professional.
At the ninth Games of La Francophonie in Kinshasa in 2023, Fientan won gold in dance creation. Its performance Adepte de mon être explores the experiences of people with disabilities and their search for a place in society.
