The Mudra Afrique (or, Centre Africain de Perfectionnement et de Recherche des Interprètes du Spectacle Mudra Afrique) was a contemporary dance school founded in Dakar, Senegal in 1977 by Léopold Sédar Senghor and Maurice Béjart, based on a Pan-African philosophy of uniting Africans through the commonalities in the different ways of artistic self-expression throughout the continent, thus creating a universal artistic culture that challenges the dominance of European dance and artistry. The school closed in 1983 but a significant number of its students went on to successful international careers., such as the Burkinabe choreographer, dancer, actor and artist . Mudra Afrique played a crucial role in preparing the basis for contemporary African dance by training the first generation of “moder