[Persi and student] I. ..
[Persi and student] Love...
[Persi and student] You...
[Persi and student] Dance
[Persi and student] Because it makes...
[Persi and student] - Me happy - Me happy, me happy
[Persi and student] I
[Persi and student] Love
[Persi and student] Dance
Because
[Persi and student] I love to dance because it makes me happy
[Persi and student] - I love to dance because it makes me happy - I love to dance because it makes me
[Persi and student] I love to dance because it makes me happy
Danceducation
[VO] This is the story from Ghana, about the people who love to dance.
[Sackey Percy ] My name is Sackey Percy
[Sackey Percy ] I'm known on social media as Percy Jackson, or the dancing teacher, I'm 25 years old
[Sackey Percy ] I live in Obo-Kwahu, I'm a trainee teacher
[Adjakunsa Omma] My name is Adjakunsa Omma
[Adjakunsa Omma] I go to school at Obo Presby Primary
[Adjakunsa Omma] I am in P1 class
[Asante Prince] My name is Asante Prince
[Asante Prince] I am in class one
[Asante Prince] I have four siblings
[Asante Prince] I like going to school
[Asante Prince] Maths is my favourite subject
[Percy] And I teach creative arts, ICT, and maths
[Percy] I use dance to teach to make learning easier,
and make school attractive to all kids, so they'll come to school on time and feel happy
[Adjakunsa Omma] He makes learning interesting
[Adjakunsa Omma] I want to be a lawyer in the future
[Asante Prince] I want to be a police officer
[Asante Prince] In my leisure times, I dance and rehearse
[VO] Percy Jackson can’t summon lightning. but he is a public servant.
[VO] He’s a village school teacher,. a career he chose over joining the army.
[VO] Percy is convinced that teaching is enhanced by dance. and
has just launched his own foundation. [VO] He already plans to spread
his message beyond Ghana. [VO] Percy wants to bring dance into every classroom in the worlds.
[Percy] This is Sister Pia
[Percy] She stays behind my house
and she sells ice water at a canteen
she is taking some white tissue from my hair
[Percy] And, she's very funny
[Adjakunsa Omma] This seller comes every morning to sell 'ku-ku' [a local food]
[Adjakunsa Omma] This man is a farmer, he's going to his farm
[Asante Prince] This is Opin, he is in class 6
[Asante Prince] He is a very good boy
[Asante Prince] He studies hard
[Percy] These are two guys from a different school, and I asked for bread from them
because I like to have interaction with kids
[Asante Prince] These people, we call them 'Zindalaya'
[Asante Prince] They sweep the town to keep it neat
[Adjakunsa Omma] This is my school, Obo Presby
[Asante Prince] This is my school, it is called Obo Presby Primary
This is my school, usually my kids run to come and meet me whenever I'm coming
[Asante Prince] And sometimes I pretend I haven't seen them and I will just dodge them, as if...
[Asante Prince] There's my class, that's class 1
[Asante Prince] My kids always love to follow me to class,
because I'm in school and they always want to be around me
[Asante Prince] I went to drop my bag
[Percy] Classical schools look like military school
[Percy] To me, from my point of view, dance is better and it overrules
[VO] Percy doesn’t thinkteachers should always demand discipline from
their students. [VO] Why forbid making noise and jumping around?
[VO] A good teacher should organise the crowd, become its leader and 00:06:36:00 00:06:51:00 allow students to channel their energy creatively. [VO] After school,
Percy goes to help his cousin neighbouring village.
[VO] They stationery supplies and educational for the school
[Percy] I'm painting pencil holders
[Percy] We used to prepare this to keep pens in it
[Percy] And I used to come here to work, and also to give ideas about preparing teaching materials
[Percy] Aside from that, it helps me to make learning easier, and I understand how it works
[Percy] That's why I used to come here
[Percy] All these things are some of the TLMs that make learning much easier, like dancing
because it's practical and
the more you practice, that's when you remember very easily
So, relating it to dance, the dance also, when you practice it
you just have a reflection of whatever you find easy
[Percy’s brother] I think he's on the right track
getting the children very close to him
[Percy’s brother] Not, let me say...
dancing as the main... part...
that it's a way to get the children very close to him
[VO] Sister Pia is already at the school cafeteria. [VO] This is the cafeteria. 00:09:20:00 00:09:26:00 Percy is preparing for his class. [VO] Prince receives his exercise-book. 00:09:27:00 00:09:32:00 and there’s a book for Adjakunsa. [VO] Because the classes are overcrowded,
three students have to share each desk. [VO] At this school,
the only visual aids available are the walls.
[VO] Percy’s view is straightforward, if the school can’t afford
to equip its,classrooms; he can at least make the ,
classes entertaining.
[Percy] And which one is what?
[Percy] That's cool!
[Percy] Good
[Percy] Good, that's right!
[VO] His approach is simple: If you can dance instead of explaining
– then you should dance!.
- [Life Percy] Are you ready? - - [Life Percy] Yes
- [Life Percy] Are you ready? - [Life Percy] Yes
- [Life Percy] No, say 'yes, sir!' Are you ready? - [Life Percy] Yes, sir!
[Life Percy] Ready? Go!
[Life Percy] Tens!
[Life Percy] Ones!
[Life Percy] Tens!
00:10:40:00 00:10:45:00 [VO] The guy in the t-shirt with the word 'Director' is Percy’s school
friend. [VO] He helps him make Instagram videos. [VO] They’re discussing 00:11:02:00 [VO] Percy’s next post.
Instagram is an important part of the foundation,
it’s how the world gets to hear of Percy’s dancing method.
Today, he tagged me in a post on Instagram 00:11:59:00 00:12:00:00 [VO] Percy had hoped to dance in the courtyard,
but rain has enforced a change of plan.
[Percy] For me, my shoes, or my footwear, doesn't last a long period of time
because of the moves I've been applying during these hours, sometimes when I'm shooting video
[Percy] Yes, for me, it's a big problem
worn shoes and footwear doesn't last for the period of time that I wish it could last
[VO] Percy’s Instagram page is only just starting to gain in popularity.
[VO] He already’s has about 19,000 followers
TITLES U dance like a f**** girl!!! Come and see the king of the dance!!! I ll teach u dancing chiken! 00:13:00:00 00:13:03:00 But popularity inevitably brings haters too.
Danceducation
[VO] Percy has been challenged to an Instagram dance-off.
[VO] He accepts the challenge.
[Percy] I have haters
[Percy] But I have a lot of followers on Instagram and social media
[Percy] By all means, you have those who dislike you
and you know, the more you dislike me, the more you motivate me to do more for people
[VO] Percy takes us to the house where he grew up.
and where his mother and siblings still live
[Percy’s mother] I'm Comfort Boateng
[Percy’s mother] Percy is my last son
[Percy] There's my brother
Belkwantu
[Percy] He's the second-born
[Percy] This is my uncle,
Uncle Samfor
[Percy] He's also a teacher at senior high school
[Uncle Samfor] I think dancing with them did free them, it helped them a lot
they'll be closer to teachers, in that case, they can tell you, 'See we're your friends',
there's nothing to fear about them
[Uncle Samfor] You don't have to fear them
[Percy] So this is my farm
[Percy] A small farm, you know
[Percy] Right behind my house, and...
[Percy] It's been some time since I came here so it seems it's not arranged well
[Percy] Yeah, but I planted plantain before I left
[Percy] As you see, it's coming small-small, you know?
[Percy] So [in a] very short time, you know, we'll eat plantain
[Percy’s mother] For me, the reason to dance is to glorify our maker
COMFORT BOATENG SACKEY’S MOTHER
[VO] While mum prepares dinner, Percy shows us his room.
[Percy] That's my room
I made this where we do the teaching and learning materials
[Percy] It's a cross, you know, I believe in God
[Percy] So I just made it to be in front of my door so whenever...
there's any angry spiritual contact, it's...
[Percy] That's my sound system
[Percy] I bought it...
let's say... 7 years ago now
[Percy] And I've been using it, I used to...
when I want to go to the studio
[Percy] Usually I don't like going to the studio to record, but I like playing instruments
and be singing along with it, because I want to sharpen my skills more
[Percy’s mother] During his childhood
Percy liked music
and drumming
[Percy’s mother] When we'd go to church, he collected sticks
and started beating the tables
[Percy’s mother] At times...
[Percy’s mother] I wanted to beat him!
[Percy’s mother] But the one in charge of the children's service told me, 'Comfort, don't do that!
[Percy’s mother] 'Allow him, you don't know what he'll be doing in the future'
[VO] In the afternoon, Percy holds a children’s dance in the courtyard
at his home. [VO] Percy and Prince are already a finely tuned duet.
[VO] They perform this dance for local festivities. [VO] So Prince is
already an artist. [VO] After the dance class, they play football.
[Percy] Football means a lot to Ghanaians,
because wherever you pass in Ghana, you see kids are playing football
[Percy] Even adults are playing football
[Percy] There are many connections between dance and football,
because dance is also a form of gymnastic work, and also football is a form of gymnastic work
[Percy] So we were doing this...
which means you're kind of doing a jog, it's another form of dancing and, some of my kids,
it's not all of them that know how to dance
[Percy] Some know how to play football, so I'm here to join them
so we work together to make some corrections
[Percy] Football is a profession and people are making a lot of money out of it,
and now people want to train to do that so they too can go far
so that they will be paid heavily, as others are
[VO] Today, there’s the last run-through at school before the folk
dance contest. [VO] Percy is in charge of the rehearsal. [VO] The folk dances
are still prominent in Ghana. [VO] It’s even a part of the school curriculum.
[Percy] Look, it's very inspiring
[Percy] This dance is called, 'usudi', and it's usually performed when a king is relaxing
[Percy] This dance is called, 'kete'
and it's one of our favourite dances
[Percy] This dance is called, 'asafo'
it's a royal dance that is performed by the clans
and this dance is usually performed in a social gathering
and its dressing is a bit of rare resources or materials, such as, 'kete bis'
and it's a very interesting dance, and what she is doing, all the signs
shows praise
[Percy] The flag signifies the clan,
and he's a warrior and he's a flag-holder for the clan
and it's usually performed when going for war
[Percy] This dance is called, 'pacha'
[Percy] It's a recreational dance by both sexes
and performed by the 'Kubus' in the eastern part of Ghana
[Percy] It's being accompanied with the song, 'pacha'
[Percy] It's a dance performed after purity rites, which signifies purification
[Percy] It symbolises unity and love among themselves
[Percy] And also...
the flag symbolises...
unity
[VO] Another day at school. but It’s quite chilly outside,
so Adjasunta has her breakfast in the hallway.
[VO] Prince is getting ready for school too. [VO] His mother was busy with
his little brother, so breakfast is no’t ready yet.
[VO] He’ll eat when he gets to school.
[VO] The school depend on donations from students.
[VO] The principal leaves a plastic basin in the classroom, for coins.
[VO] Donations are also accompanied by a dance
[VO] In this part of Ghana, Saturday is the day of the dead. [VO] It’s the
day on which, people bury and pray for their dead. [VO] When someone
close dies, it’s not just a family matter but a socially significant
event. [VO] For example, wakes here look more like fashion parties.
[VO] All kinds of important issues are resolved at gatherings like this.
[Percy] Today is a special day
[Percy] We mourn the dead
and usually we used to dance this dance especially
[Percy] Normally we do it during funerals and it especially describes how sad we are
[VO] This is how the tragedy of death gradually transforms
into a celebration of life.
[Percy] This is the chief...
coming along with the queen
[Percy] They're going to greet their lost family at the funeral place
[Percy] The man holding the umbrella is a 'linguist' and the man in the hat is a king
and as you can see, the linguist is praising the chief, or the king
[Percy] The dance that the king is dancing is called 'adowa', and is normally danced by the Akans
[VO] After the king and his entourage have left, the commoners keep on
dancing. This dance symbolises simple message: a loved one has gone
to a better place, and that should be celebrated
[VO] Saturday night. [VO] With the Funeral dances over, it’s time to go
clubbing. [VO] Percy and his friends set out to relax after the working
week. [VO] Of course, everyone is dancing.
[Percy] When we go to church we are dancing
[Percy] When we go to a funeral we are dancing
[Percy] Even in bed we are dancing
[Percy] Because it's part of us
[Percy] So what is wrong when we use it as a tool in class?
[Children] Good morning Jesus, good morning Lord
[Children] I know you come from heaven above
[Children] The Holy Spirit is on the throne...
[Children] Who loves to teach us?
TITLES Two months after making this film, Prince contracted malaria, which rapidly progressed and worsened. Doctors were unable to save Prince, who sadly died soon after
TITLES It is estimated that in 2017, 435,000 people died of malaria. According to the WHO, 403,000 (around 93%) of the victims were Africa