Aggy, the dancing queen: ‘Short and Sweet’ dancer’s moment of fame

By Pulse | 5yrs ago | 3 min read

Strutting a jumpsuit, Sarakasi dancer and choreographer seemed to enjoy herself as she created some of the most talked-about dance moves that have contributed to making Sauti Sol and Nyashinski’s new video ‘Short and Sweet’ the biggest in the region. Agnes Kiunga aka Aggy, the Kenyatta University graduate speaks about her journey to this moment of fame:

Pulse: For how long have you been a professional dancer?

Aggy: Six years now. I have been working under Sarakasi Dancers and right now, as our boss would say, I am the captain of the team. For me, dancing is a lifestyle. It is how I make a living.

P: Six years in Sarakasi. That is such a long time. Ordinarily, people use Sarakasi as a launching pad before they form their own dance groups…

A: That is true. My experience at Sarakasi is different from everyone else’s. I have seen many people come and go. I have used the opportunity over the years to learn and grow my art and now, I am not only a dancer but also a choreographer and a designer in charge of many groups like G&Q. If I left Sarakasi Dancers now, there would be a gap.

P: But it is certainly this new ‘Short and Sweet’ project that makes the highlight of your career, right?

A: Definitely, this has put me in the limelight. This must have been God’s time and strange enough, as much as Sauti Sol has been working with Sarakasi Dancers in their videos, it was the first time I got the opportunity to work with them. No one knew the song would turn to be such a big hit and still no one thought Odie dance would get such swag (laughs).

P: Everyone played their role well but you come out as the face of the video. Did you pick on this particular role yourself?

A: I am happy that everyone is talking about it and I am trying so hard not to get overwhelmed. Oscar Otieno, Eddu’s assistant, was in charge of choreography and we rehearsed for a week before the actual shoot was done. We all understood that the chorus would be the highlight of the video and so I worked on my part and the rest is history.

P: Who was your closest competition?

A: I would say that everyone was perfect in their role. It was all about bringing out a given character and so you would hardly compare who was good and who was not as choreography is a complimenting art. Some of the actors are friends I have worked with at Sarakasi while others came through the auditions for the video and it was collective effort that made this work.

P: You have been a video vixen in a number of local and continental music videos. Are their roles you like playing or you just like flowing with the script?

A: I’m always ready for any given role. Some artistes are easy to work with while others sometimes don’t seem to know what they exactly want. I have worked with Papa Dennis in Mayaya, Vivian in Chum Chum, Ice Prince and many more. Every time, the approach is different. I have also been around the world doing mega festivals and I think right now, experience is working for me.

P: You have a Bachelors degree in Biology from Kenyatta University. How is that complimenting what you are doing in showbiz right now?

A: Frankly, my focus is on my dancing and choreography career as that is where my passion is and it is what is putting food on my table. Bachelors in Biology is about body anatomy and unless I’m helping guys on how to take care of their muscles, how else do I apply this in dance?

P: Is the girl we see in the dance videos the real you?

A: Videos are all about acting. I am quite a different person in real life. If you find me in the club, you will see the quite laid-back cool me. I am quite the laid back type.