Reflecting on YLÓ Connections First edition, 2026 – Benin.
A place of formidable history, continues to blend tradition and contemporary life in a vibrant demonstration of life.
I am sitting in my living room now, looking back at the incredible time we had at YLÓ Connections 2026. The amount of activities and experiences we had in such a short time makes it hard to try to assimilate everything, it will take a long time.
Experiencing Benin asked for a simple, yet hard task: Being present.
Cotonou: dance, percussion and a full immersion in the arts.
We began in Cotonou. The mornings started with the smell of fresh-made juices and fruits. The weight of the heat sets the mood for yoga and stretching practices led by Cecilia (me). I led these sessions with the intention to ground us in a practice that opened the body, mind, and spirit to what came next. Orphée Georgah led the room with daily sessions of traditional dance accompanied by master musicians. The energy is palpable, the sweat is real, the joy: more than abundant.
Traditional dance here isn’t “performance”; it’s a way of being. When the body connects with the rhythm, it’s a dialogue, and with this a greater conversation starts to emerge, a sense of cohesion and expansion starts developing . Dance can be a powerful healing tool and here it shows full out.
We brought in Carmelita Siwa and Ezechiel Adande, two professional dancers, to teach urban styles because we wanted participants to have a wider experience of the diverse dance landscape of Benin. As we moved from traditional rhythms to the urban sounds of the Ivory Coast, Benin and Congo, we saw how tradition keeps inspiring and nourishing contemporary dances.
Ouidah: Vodun Days and the manifestation of a Cultural Patrimony
In Ouidah, for the Vodoun Days, the city transformed. We stood at the Temple of Mami Dan and walked through the Sacred Forest. One participant told me that seeing these rituals on a screen is nothing like the “energetic experience” of being there. There are many aspects of these manifestations of ceremony, ritual and performance that have to be experienced in the moment to be able to perceive their beauty and mystery.
An unforgettable experience was the Egun-gun ancestors manifested in layers of heavy, flowing fabric moving through the crowds. There is a specific tension there: the playfulness of the crowd running from their touch, “toying with the afterlife.” It’s a reminder that the sacred isn’t always solemn; it can be frantic, joyful, and adrenaline-filled. It’s another manifestation of the spiritual and the quotidian constantly coexisting and relating.
Ganvié: Water and Reciprocity
Then, we went to Ganvié. The “Venice of Africa” is a term that lacks the weight of its history. This village on stilts was built for survival against the slave trade. On Lake Nokoué, life moves at the pace of water. Everyday living happens on the lake: the markets, schools, restaurants and more. Water rules the timing and the pace.
We had an incredible meal prepared by our host family, a local dish accompanied by Hibiscus tea and lemon water. We watched the canoes pass by, the mothers with their children in their Sunday clothes. The life lessons are endless.
My experience in Benin is always the one of a student. The way of living, and the connection with land offers me such a contrast to Western paradigms and belief systems. It confronts me, and makes me question. From a Western perspective we may think of nature as something to classify, but here, nature is balance, and a state of being. It is the divine energy that requires our daily attention, care and above all: Respect.
A culinary delight
For the length of our time with YLÓ, we were delighted to have our lead chef, Niyath (Alaro Achake), take us on a journey through peppers, peanut sauce and piron. Her kitchen is an archive of agricultural history.
She is the heart of the team, proving that stories are passed down through flavors just as much as through movements. We tasted a variety of traditional dishes as we learned about their ingredients, ways of making them, and her unique touch.
YLÓ Connections 2026 was a bridge. Not just between the diverse backgrounds of the participants (Argentina, Venezuela, France and the U.S.), but between the versions of ourselves we brought and the versions we became. We are not growing alone; we grow together.
