The first time we saw Rony Xtraga dance was as a contestant in the 2021 AfroConex Kuduro/Afrohouse battle. He was in the finale competing for the 1st place prize. Through all the rounds, he stood out because of his precision, agility and energy. There was just something about him that was captivating. While Rony didn’t win the 2021 battle, it was clear that he was a talent worth exploring.
Since then, Afroconex have collaborated numerous times with Rony and have watched his dance evolve. His speed, precision and combinations are what separates him from other Afrohouse/Kuduro dancers. In observing Rony’s dance, we can see that he has a foundation in Kuduro dance. He has been able to take his Kuduro foundation and evolve it into the Afrohouse realm with clarity.
What we love about his dance is that it is big, and his arms are well coordinated with his footwork which creates a visual dynamic. He appears to be flying when he dances, lightly touching the ground with his feet, only to leap again into the next combo of footwork.
So what does it take to become an Afrohouse/Kuduro dancer like Rony? And what is it like being a full time street dancer in Luanda Angola?
AFROCONEX: Rony, thank you for taking the time to chat with AfroConex. We have followed you since 2021 and love to see all your growth over the past 2 years. Can you tell us how old you are ? And how old were you when you started dancing ? when and why did you decide that dance was the career for you?
RONY: I am currently 21 years old. I started dancing when I was 8 years old and dancing became my career when I was 14 years old.
AFROCONEX: let’s talk about your style of Afrohouse and Kuduro dance? Your precision and speed, as well as the creativity in your combinations is what we love about you. How did you train your Afrohouse dance and how do you come up with your combinations ?
RONY: My combinations are a mix of Afrohouse Movements with kuduro. I create my combinations based on the speed I have from kuduro. And I modify existing afrohouse movements by making them a little more energetic
AFROCONEX: Within your dance we see elements of Kuduro Classico. How much does Kuduro influence your Afrohouse ? And would you credit Kuduro dance as to why your Afrohouse dance is so precise and high energy ?
RONY: I give Kuduro credit, yes. Kuduro influences my afrohouse by about 70%
AFROCONEX: In the video interview you talked about controlling your energy. This is something we are very curious about because Kuduro and modern Afrohouse is very energetic. How do you maintain your energy to dance and is it difficult to dance a stage presentation at that level of energy ?
RONY: It is very difficult to maintain a presentation with this level of energy.
I control my energy by calculating the key points that the music brings me. Starting and finishing with the same energy is a little difficult.
AFROCONEX: throughout the history of kuduro and Afrohouse we know that many outside influences shape the dance: ndombolo from Congo, Pantsula and Kwaito from South Africa and American hip hop. What would you say are the current outside influences shaping how you dance and how you see Afrohouse and Kuduro being done today ?
RONY: Currently the external influences that shape my way of dancing are ndomboló and kwaito.
Nowadays I see afrohouse being done in a good way but there has been a lack of creativity on the part of some who are getting lost with the slow motion dances on Tik Tok.
Nowadays, few people make kuduro well. Those who make clean kuduro today are those who have been doing it for many years. Those from the new generation can't do kuduro de Raiz due to a lack of creativity in their movements. This makes it seem like kuduro is limited in terms of movement.
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