Traditional West African Dance

INFO//

EXPLORE, SUPPORT, PRESERVE, & CELEBRATE Traditional West-African Dance from the Mande culture in Mali, West Africa. Class will be co-led by Master Teacher, Seydou Coulibaly, his daughter, Assitan Coulibaly and accompanied by live Djembe and Djun Djun players led by Master Djembefola Moussa Traoré.

This class is friendly to all levels of experiences and ages!

PRICING + PAYMENTS//

This class is FREE* to the public although donations are always welcome!

*Sponsored by PRONK!

BIOS//

SEYDOU COULIBALY (he/him/his) is one of Mali’s leading dancers, teachers, directors and choreographers. He was named Mali’s premiere dancer in the final Biennale Arts competition before the coup d’état in 1990. He founded and was artistic director of Mali’s nationally respected and award-winning Troupe Komée Josée (1984-1993) , which toured throughout Mali. His film credits include Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997), Street Party in Lafiabougou (1988), Hard Luck (2006) featuring Wesley Snipes and Directed by Mario Van Peebles and numerous educational films on Malian music, dance and culture. Coulibaly’s musical talents as a djun-djun player can be heard on Mohamed Kalifa Kamara’s Album, Africa Kanben. Seydou also runs Centre Yeredon (Yeredon Center), founded in 2001. Yeredon is a nationally recognized cross-cultural arts center, and school in Bamako, Mali, which aims to bring a greater knowledge of Malian culture to foreigners while preserving the work of Mali’s most talented artists. His work with Yeredon and expert knowledge is the subject of Dr. Sharon Kivenko's Doctoral dissertation at Harvard University, titled Mobile Bodies: Migration, Performance and Social Belonging in Malian Dance. Seydou continues to work extensively in the US, at Wheaton College, Brown University, the Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA and collaborates with many local after school and community programs. His most recent proposed project, titled Yeredon: Know Thyself, is a documentary of compiled footage of Dance, Music, and Culture from the last 30 years in Mali, West Africa.

MOUSSA TRAORE was born and raised in Mali, West Africa. He has been playing the djembe for over forty years- in 1984, after completing a twelve-year apprenticeship, he was deemed a "master" by his teacher, Sega Cisse. Moussa has achieved great recognition throughout Mali as an accomplished musician in theater, traditional ceremonies, as well as the Malian pop scene. Among musicians in Bamako, Moussa is considered to be one of the top djembe players in the country. Since moving to the U.S., Moussa has continued to distinguish himself as a highly respected teacher and performer. He has given drum workshops in cities throughout the U.S. and China. Currently, he is teaching at schools, offering weekly community classes, leading drum ensembles for West African dance classes, and performing for special events and workshops.​

ASSITAN ‘SITA’ COULIBALY (she/her/hers) is a Malian-American dancer, choreographer, and writer based in Providence, Rhode Island. Assitan began training in West African dance with New Works/World Traditions at Brown University with whom she has performed and traveled worldwide. Much of her choreographic work is greatly inspired by her Malian heritage and is highlighted by her fusion of Coupe Decalé, Afrobeats, traditional West African, and Hip Hop dance and music styles. These bodies of work are meant to reflect the fun and energetic community lifestyle that is reminiscent of her childhood growing up between the United States and Mali. She has taught West African Dance at Wheaton College, Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, The Wheeler School, and the Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA. Assitan holds her B.A. in Psychology with a double minor in Peace and Social Justice and French Studies from Wheaton College-MA (2017) and 200-hr Yoga Teacher Certification (B4C 2020). Assitan is one of five founding members of The Haus of Glitter Dance Company, a member of New Works/ World Traditions Dance Company, a principal dancer with Troupe Yeredon in Mali, was awarded RISCA’s Folk Arts Fellowship (2021) for her work as a preserver of Traditional Mande Dance, and was featured in Art New England Magazine’s, 10 Emerging New England Artists article. In addition to her art, she is the acting Director of Legacy Arts & Education at Centre Yeredon in Bamako, Mali and a Teaching Artist and Performer with Pushed Learning and Media, a Boston based non-profit that specializes in diversity, privilege, and racial justice education.

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