Dawou Tarraxo, the full story

Since childhood, Dawou has been surrounded by Afro-Caribbean music and culture. Long before his first class, he already had an ear for rhythm and a feeling for how the body expresses it.

In 2014 he begins his dance journey in Paris and lays the first foundations of what would become his Tarraxo identity.

In 2017 he joins the School of Tropical Latin Dances by Isis Figaro and discovers Kizomba and its related styles with the renowned Espérance Ousmane. He trains intensively, attends countless workshops at Parisian festivals and learns from major international teachers, building a style that is grounded, musical and controlled.

In September 2017 he takes his first Tarraxo workshop with Gwany. One month later he joins DJ Saï Saï’s taxi dancer team and starts travelling from festival to festival.

From September 2018 to June 2019 he completes his training at a specialised Kizomba school with Anais Millon.

In December 2018 he meets Gwany again, co-founder of Tarraxo with Kizzy. It is a turning point. Fascinated by the depth of the style, he follows an intensive path: musicality and pedagogy with Laurent Yishù, and deep work on the foundations of Tarraxa and Tarraxo with Kizzy and Gwany.

He becomes a key member of VVK, Vivez Votre Kizomba, and takes charge of organising its taxi dancer team.

In 2020 he officially becomes a Tarraxo dancer and creates the first Tarraxo dancer team.

In 2021 he meets Marta Tarraxo. Together they form a strong duo and teach at international events.

From 2021 to 2023 he teaches every Tuesday at Tarraxo School Paris: foundations, groove and balance. From 2022 to 2023 he also teaches every Wednesday at Tarraxo School London: technique, musical play and connection.

In 2024 he moves to Dubai and joins Tarraxo School Dubai, where he runs a weekly Tarraxo lab until 2025 and shares the movement across the Middle East.

In 2022 he travels to Tahiti for an intense six-hour masterclass and stays three weeks. It remains one of the most powerful dance journeys of his life. Each country, each festival, each social adds a new layer to his dance.

Since 2021 he has worked closely with a DJ who helped him shape and refine his first remixes. That partnership sharpened his understanding of Tarraxo sound design: the weight of the bass, the space of the breaks, what makes a floor move.

Since 2024 he produces his own Tarraxo music: 29 releases so far, including the album Between Two Worlds, with a new single about every month. He collaborates with artists such as YnG Cole, Ky Sheny and Mula Jr, blending the identity of Tarraxo with contemporary influences.

Twelve years of teaching are now written down in the TOCA Method: Touch, Observation, Control, Awareness. The student’s book follows nine courses and 93 lessons, and the teacher’s guide gives instructors a clear way to build a class. Both are available in English, French and Spanish.

Based in Dubai, Dawou teaches masterclasses, travels to festivals and is preparing his Online Academy, so anyone can learn Tarraxo with him wherever they live.

He sees himself as an active contributor to the Tarraxo movement and spreads it with respect and depth, bringing dancers together around a grounded, expressive energy.