Kadodo Drum & Dance Camp 6-8 February 2026
Friday 6 February 4:30pm - 4pm, Sunday 8 February, 2026
In Levin this year at the glorious
Makahika Outdoor Pursuit Centre
865 Gladstone Road
RD1 Levin
A rare opportunity awaits you to learn from the source, learning intensively from Koffie Fugah (Kadodo Music - Ghanaian West African Drum and Dance tutor extraordinaire), and with local tutors Simon Elwell (Djembe NZ/Kubatana) and Jenny Bloomfield (Moringa Dancers).
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!! ALL WELCOME!!
This years Kadodo Drum & Dance School will be set in the relaxing and inspiring natural beauty of Makahika Outdoor Pursuit Centre in Levin. At this stunning venue, you have the wonderful opportunity to go deeply into spirit-lifting rhythms and dances with Koffie and our team.
For the 10th year, Kadodo Drum and Dance School, Moringa Dancers and Djembe NZ invites you to partake in this unique opportunity. Extend your current skills and grow your abilities by learning traditional West African drumming and dance! Immerse yourself in the rhythms and grow a deeper understanding behind the rhythms, dances, songs, and the cultures they originate from.
What are you waiting for? Come and join us!
Tutors:
Koffie Fugah (kadododrumanddance.co.nz) - Drum/Dance
Simon Elwell (djembe.nz) - Drum
Jenny Bloomfield (moringadancers.co.nz) - Dance/Yoga
- FULL CAMP RATES INCLUDE CAMP ACCOMODATION (LODGE DORM STYLE BUNKROOM, OR YOU CAN BOOK A LARGE PREPITCHED TENT AT NO EXTRA COST - FIRST IN FIRST SERVED)
- CATERED MEALS (catering will start at dinner Friday)
- TUITION
Kids (under 15 - guardians fully responsible at all times) = $350
Re kids: if we have enough parents interested we may create a kids camp option where kids can be looked after during sessions, for an additional charge, email Jenny to express interest in this: [email protected]
Student/unemployed/concession = $350
Uber Early Bird = $400 until 20 November
Early Bird = $450 until 20 December
Full Price = $500 until camp - Thursday 5 Feb at 2pm will be the Final Cut off to sign up with catering.
WE NOW HAVE UNCATERED CAMP OPTIONS ONLY!
You need to BYO food that is low maintenance to give the catering team full use of the kitchen if you sign up now.
CATERING NO LONGER AVAILABLE:
FULL CAMP - BYO food = $350
FRI ONLY DAY PASS - BYO food = $50
SAT ONLY DAY PASS - BYO food = $100
SUN ONLY DAY PASS - BYO food = $75
FRI/SAT (staying onsite FRI) BYO food = $225
SAT/SUN (staying onsite Sat) BYO food = $250
You can hire additionally:
- Djembe drum $10 (reservations essential)
- What to bring:
- Djembe drum (if you have not booked a drum hire)
- Any instrument you might like to play in our jam sessions, including quieter instruments for after 10pm.
- Togs for swimming in the river
- Comfy cool clothes to move and stretch in
- Yoga Mat (there will be 10 available for community use, but in case you want your own, or want to make sure not to miss out).
- Something you'd like to share for the Variety Show if you're keen - please email Jenny to discuss your ideas and get on the list for our performance eve!
- Any special home baking or share-able food/fruit etc for morning/afternoon teas you might like to bring (optional)
- Sneakers/trainers
- Indoor slippers/dance shoes if desired (the indoor floor is concrete, so prepare yourself to have coziness and support, and we will hold as many sessions as we can outside in nature if it's fine and dry enough - there is a nice open flat grassy area that is absolutely perfect to dance in if we have good weather)
- Your own bedding/sleeping bag/pillow/towel (not provided)
Lots of great dancing, drumming, morning yoga sessions! Get amongst it!!
ALL TIMETABLE ITEMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
still under revision :)
FRIDAY
4:30pm Arrivals (there will be some afternoon tea supplies you can help yourself to, and relax, explore and enjoy the lush surroundings and settle in)
5pm-6pm Drumming w/Simon
6pm-7pm Dance w/Fred
7-7:30pm Stretch w/Jenny & instrumentals
7:30pm Dinner
8:30pm Jam Session w/Koffie - all artists supporting
SATURDAY
7:30am-8:30am Yoga w/Bridget
8:30am-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-11am Drumming w/Koffie
11:15am:-12:30pm Dance w/Fred
12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm-1:45pm Group Photo
1:45pm-3:15pm Drumming w/Sid
3:30pm-5pm Dance w/Koffie
5pm-6pm Drumming w/Fred
6:15pm-7:15pm Dance w/ Jenny, stretch w/instrumentals
7:30pm Dinner
8:30pm Variety/talent show - all are welcome to contribute, bring something you would like to share if you are moved to!
SUNDAY
7:30-8:30am Yoga w/Bridget
8:30am-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-11am Drumming w/Koffie
11:15am-12:45pm Dance w/Fred
12:45pm- 1pm Stretch w/ Jenny & instrumentals
1pm-2pm Lunch/pack up
2pm-3:30pm Drumming w/Simon
3:30pm-4pm Tidy up venue - all hands on deck to clean up the facilities and help load drums into Simon's van.
4pm Departure time
Any questions or queries please contact Jenny: [email protected] 0276996918
About the tutors
Koffie is the primary tutor for this school/retreat, and will be bringing us the chance to learn from the source and really delve in deeply to these traditional art forms. He has a gift, challenging all levels of ability, and making everyone feel comfortable and confident. He brings his students to the next level while bringing a smile to their faces and leaving them all wanting more! A highly skilled facilitator and a talented and passionate artist, we are so lucky to have him here in NZ.
Koffie grew up in a village called Abor in the Volta Region of Ghana where traditional music and dance is part of daily life. He undertook his training Ghana's capital, Accra. Before coming to New Zealand, he taught African dance and drumming for 15 years both in Ghana and abroad.
Since making New Zealand home in 2013 he has established a network of drummers through drumming groups and running workshops around New Zealand. Kadodo represents his desire to connect with people throughout the country and unite them through their love of West African drumming and dance. Through Kadodo he has developed a supportive team of talented musicians who have a genuine desire to support him in his mission to share the joy and passion of his culture.
https://www.kadodomusic.com
FRED NII ADDO (GHANA/AUS) DRUMMING & DANCE
Fred Nii Addo is a true global ambassador of rhythm and harmony, a maestro who
transcends borders with his artistry.
https://onespiritafrica.com.au/
Simon's love of African drumming, rhythm and song started 12 years ago upon meeting and experiencing the amazing rhythms of Africa through Mohamed Bangoura at the Organic River Festival. His passion for African percussion led him to community music leader Julian Raphael who teaches African rhythms, song and world music in Wellington and throughout New Zealand.
During his 6 years of drumming with Julian, Simon also learned inspiring and uplifting African rhythm and music face to face from several other drumming masters and percussionists including Mohamed Bangoura, Chris Berry, Robert Fugah and King Marong with whom Simon had the privilege to perform with. He has also been influenced by the teachings of Mamady Keita, Babara Bangoura and Fara Tolno.
Simon has been teaching and facilitating drumming groups in and around Wellington since 2011. He performs regularly with his percussion ensemble Kubatana, leads the drum group for Jenny Bloomfield's African Dance class in Newtown, and is currently studying the magical sound of the mbira.
Simon’s quirky sense of humour, attention to detail and fun nature make him a very popular tutor.
djembe.nz
SIDHARTH PAGAD (INDIA/NZ) - dRUMMINg
While he can sometimes be a bit of a technique nerd, Sidharth strives to make classes and workshops as fun and engaging as possible, while sharing the knowledge in as straight-forward a format as he can.
Sid is also a good friend and Kubatana alumni and we are really looking forward to having him, his infectious energy and mad drumming skills in the mix at camp!!!
https://www.krakotokra.com/
Jenny has been dancing her heart out, performing, teaching, and creating community in and around Wellington since 2005. She is the founding director and teacher of Moringa Dancers West African Inspired Dance performance group. She has a passion for collaborating with drummers, often co-creating performances with Kubatana percussion ensemble and with Kadodo Music, and more recently also with Ooh Lala Music, Ollin Yoliztli Life and Movement, and Flying Jaranas! She will be bringing her fun and engaging style of teaching to this retreat, empowering students to find freedom through the connection of rhythm and movement. Her joy in dancing will leave you uplifted!
Jenny's love of West African dance began as a teenager, and now she has been dancing for most of her life! Fortunate to have grown up in northern California, where there are many amazing African dance tutors, she had the great privilege of being exposed to a lot of different styles of West African dance in her formative years. This led her to visiting Ghana in 1996 and studying intensively with Maputo Mensah. The cathartic experience of the welcoming West African culture and the warmth shown to her by everyone she met there blewJenny's mind, and changed her life forever, and she just returned to Ghana for more adventures and dancing with Koffie on the Kadodo Tour in 2019, was on the organising team for the 2024 Kadodo Ghana Tour and joined in, and is now assisting Koffie for the 2026 tour! (Join us!) Jenny has recently studied West African Dance with Anastasia Apetor, Jimmy Akiti, Esther Adenyo, Matthias Alornyo, Koffie Mawuli Ladzekpo, Naby Bangoura, Edwin Yao, Seny Bangoura, Mohamed Bangoura, King Marong, Chris Berry,, Maputo Mensah, Oumou Faye, Claire Okamoto, Mami Hirayama, Kwame Tosuma, Mitzi McRae, and of course, friend/mentor and collaborator - Robert Koffie Fugah!
Jenny is a Dance/Movement Therapist (DTAA Prov. Prof), has a 350hr Dru Yoga instructor qualification, has studied Postural Patterning, and is a serious student of Polestar Pilates. She brings a knowledge of therapeutic dance, anatomy and alignment into her teaching. Jenny has developed a philosophy of natural movement and listening to your own body to create a sustainable, expansive and nourishing dance practice. .
moringadancers.co.nz
BRIDGET ANNE KELLY - MORNING YOGA
Bridget has 25+ years of experience, a real love of yoga, pilates, body work, self care, movement medicine, massage, somatic modalities, chakras, energy work, chi gong, Chinese medicine, sound healing, meditation and a passion for sharing this with others.
Bridget runs intimate, boutique, relaxed and friendly classes daily.
Classes are relaxed, friendly, accessible and open to all ages and levels of ability.
In these classes you can ask questions and have the postures modified to suit your body and any injuries or issues you may have..
GREENHEART KITCHEN
Jenny Rahman & Erin Blayney will be serving up some delicious sustainable food that is caring for people and caring for the earth, made with love.
There are vegetarian options available, and dietaries are able to be considered when booking in time, please send a note when you sign up to let us know your dietary needs.
We can't wait to see these beautiful women and eat their delectable nourishing cuisine that feeds body mind and spirit!
