Benita Biney, an 11-year-old prodigy
• Benita Biney, 11, has been showcasing her dance prowess outside Ghana
• She is a descendant of Otumfuo Prempeh I and II
• Benita is noted for projecting cultural dance, including Adowa and Kete
Benita Biney, an 11-year-old prodigy has won the hearts of the diaspora community as a cultural ambassador. At a very early age, she watched her dad Joe, a talented traditional African drummer and dancer perform and was inspired to learn from him.
Through mentorship, dedication, and intensive practice, she developed her unique form of Adowa and Kete traditional dance, performing at several Black history events across the United States, churches, international embassies, weddings, family reunions, schools, and corporate institutions.
Being the great great granddaughter of Otumfuo Prempeh I and II of the Ashanti Royal household, there is no doubt Benita’s love for culture is ingrained in her DNA. It is amazing how genetics work.
She has earned fame on the East Coast of the United States within the African community as a cultural ambassador promoting and upholding the Akan traditional cultural dance. If you watch her dance, you can tell from the smile on her face that she enjoys what she does and she comes up with something new at every event so her performance does not become monotonous.
Videos of her performance went viral on social media when she recently showcased her Ghanaian cultural dance at the launching of United Airlines maiden trip ceremony at the Washington Dulles International Airport with inspiring dancing skills to a live set of talking drums.
As much as she performs at various events every weekend, she also takes her studies in school very seriously. A sought-after performer, Benita attends Rippon Middle school in Woodbridge, Virginia. She loves to dance, read and desire to be a lawyer. She has two younger brothers, David and Joseph Jr.
Through dance, she can express herself and inspire other young girls to use their gifts to change their communities. Her message is “trust God and never give up”.
With young people like Benita projecting their Ghanaian cultural heritage, the future generation would preserve and uphold what has been passed on from the older generation.
Culture and tradition play a pivotal role in the lives of the Akan people of Ghana. ‘Kete’ is a very popular Ashanti dance that comes with different gestures to communicate and whoever dances it knows what his or her gestures signify.
Dance is an important aspect of the culture of the Ghanaian (African). Dance embodies and articulates the philosophies of the culture, the origin, and serves as a unique symbol of identity. Our increasing interaction with various world cultures has undermined certain aspects of our dance heritage.
We incorporate ideas that threaten our indigenous philosophies and symbols of our identities to the detriment of our uniqueness as Ghanaians or Africans. Dance is one aspect of our heritage that is experiencing such impact given its contribution to humanity through its resourceful and artistic integration of socio-politico-cultural philosophies of a people.
However, in recent times, Kete performances have proven over the years to be a formidable medium through which cultural and artistic knowledge is passed on from one generation to another. Adowa is a dance by the Akan people of Ghana. It is a popular traditional dance in Ghana and it is performed at cultural ceremonies like festivals, funerals, engagements, and celebrations.