Suzie Watts is a practicing artist and teacher specialising in African regional music and dance and who loves bringing people together through the participation of music, dance and story. After a childhood dedicated to learning dance after school ( Utassy Ballet School) and joining a breakdance crew in her teens, Suzie graduated from Rusden Deakin with a B.Ed in Dance and English and underwent extensive dance and music training and professional touring in Africa, Europe and America. In 1995 Suzie founded Mzuri Dance a performing arts group that channelled all her projects. At the same time Suzie worked as a VCE dance and drama teacher at Canterbury Girls Secondary College for 10 years while also teaching at the CAE, GATEways and choreographing and directing musicals for many primary and secondary schools across Melbourne for 20 years including Dance Director for the Victorian Schools Spectacular.

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In the last 15 years she has focused her dance and music programs with Fitzroy Yarra Estates children, women and local resident and artist Ayel Akot and continues to be mentored by African Community Leaders ( ACFA) and musicians since she was invited to train in traditional Angolan ballet by Patrice Lamumba in 1989 (-incredibly the training with Patrice Lamumba was also at the Fitzroy Estate!)

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She facilitates creative workshops and performances inspired by her training in classical, folkloric and contemporary dance, yoga, trauma informed practice, breathwork and meditation, as well as regional and contemporary African arts as a medium to forge respectful relationships between people, for people’s sense of belonging, cultural expression, social equity, health and wellbeing and personal learning. 

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 A snapshot of highlights of Suzie’s performances include Womad with King Bell and Soukous Ba Congo from which they were awarded APRA Best Live World Music Act, Community Opening Ceremony of Commonwealth Games, Bangarra Theatre support, Premier Gala for Diversity week, MCG Boxing day cricket, Opening for Melbourne International festival, Arts Centre + Hamer Hall performances.

Ayel Akot is a Melbourne based artist, dancer and educator. Ayel migrated from Africa when she was nine years old and spoke no English. She doesn’t want to talk about the violence, hardship and guns, she is here to show you how to dance with confidence, speak your mind and celebrate the small things. 

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Through Ayel’s perspective culture is immediate, pride is important and supporting your community happens regardless. In Ayel’s practice as a visual artist, textures and silhouettes are used with simplicity and sophistication to tell stories about the artist’s life specifically and the human experience at large. These narratives are about heritage, connection and triumph. The intuitive patterns that flow if you listen.

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 Ayel has been a leading artist and teacher at Mzuri Dance alongside Suzie for more than 10 years. Ayel has contributed to Mzuri Dance mission to create access to the arts for vulnerable and marginalised communities for social equity, opportunity and change. 

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Ayel’s collaborations with Suzie include facilitating a Life Skills Homework Club at Fitzroy Estates for 4 years with ACFA African Communities Foundation Australia forging partnerships with City of Yarra, Yarra Libraries, Centre of Multicultural Youth and Australian Communities Foundation. Ayel workshops and performances with Mzuri Dance and Afrovival include Black Harmony Day supporting Kutcha Edwards Multicultural Arts Victoria, Opening for Big West Festival, African Music Cultural Festival, Viva Victoria, Hawthorn Football Club Family Day, Werribee Zoo, Sidney Myer Music Bowl performances and many more.

Mzuri Dance is a for purpose dance, music arts facilitation service. We provide professional performances, classes and workshops specialising in African music and dance. We are a social enterprise, creating access for all, learning from indigenous cultural practice to bring people of diverse backgrounds together in skill sharing and culture sharing for social equity.

Ayel Akot talks about meeting Suzie Mzuri at Yarra Estates and how they began collaborating with footage of Ayel and Suzie in the early days with Mzuri Children's dance group training session in action.
Mzuri artists performing in the Mzuri Dance band - Mari Bagnath, Tariro Manatsa,  Batsi Mongoma, Caitlin Griffiths, Sally Coldham, Randy Boroquaye, Mpaphi Nfandizo + final clip of Suzie performing with King Bell + Soukous Ba Congo at Premier Gala.

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“As a creative worker I bring people together through music, dance, song, theatre and performance.

I was invited and mentored by local refugee Congolese and Ghanaian and international Congolese musicians and artists since my youth I was guided to international training including Traditional Tanzanian music and dance, roots of songlines of contemporary Congolese music and dance, and Southern African of which I now bring 30 years of training, practice, collaborations and performance.

To my practice I also bring 2 decades of experience in working as an artist with local South Sudanese leaders, artists and communities through African Communities Foundation Australia and other partnerships alongside my 30 years working as a teacher and creative program facilitator of all ages, genders, cultural backgrounds and abilities.

The land we work and play on was never ceded and will always belong to the traditional custodians of the land. I pay my respects to the custodians of this land who lived sustainably and did not abuse life, earth and her natural resources. I live on Wurundjeri Country of the Kulin Nation and pay my respects to elders past and present.”