"This residency not only gave us the opportunity to discover the Centre Culturel de Rencontre de l'Abbaye de Sylvanès and the town hall, but also immersed us in professional training in contemporary music and dance. The stay, which lasted around twelve days, will remain unforgettable in the artistic and professional lives of each of the members of 'Tambours Dodo'.

"The following day, Saturday 20 April, after breakfast and the traditional presentation and recognition ceremony for each of the residents, work began with a warm-up session. We worked on the bliguidi dance from Guadeloupe and the agbadja and gangan rhythms from Benin.

Starting with our drums (azilihoun, kpézin, bèoumbè and gangan) and Beninese castanets and handmade gon, we adapted the rhythms to the dances and choreography. We worked on vocal techniques and the linking of musical beats. The result was a special creation based on a blend of bliguidi from Guadeloupe and Agbadja from Benin.

On Friday 26 April, we held a joint activity with trainee students from schools and colleges in Sylvanès. Some 40 of them took part in that day's dance workshop, before a final performance in the evening for an enthusiastic audience.

The artistic residency at Sylvanès Abbey, the fruit of international cooperation between the CCRI John Smith, the CCR de l'Abbaye de Sylvanès and the ACCR, remains one of the most unique professional experiences in the career of each of us. It was a great joy to work with a team who were ready to repeat the experience, and who never ran out of inspiration during the workshops".