Dr. Zak Diouf is the founder and director of Diamano Coura West African Dance Company. Born in the African nation of Senegal, Dr. Diouf received his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from U.C. Berekely. Dr. Diouf has combined a brilliant career as a choreographer and performer with teaching. He has done extensive research into African music and dance along with choreographing some of the best dance and dramatic pieces for renowned companies such as: African-American Dance Ensemble, Dimension Dance Theater of Oakland, CA, Harambe Dance Company, a variety of dance companies in New York and Diamano Coura. Dr. Diouf's expertise has extended to consultancy on the Classical/African fusion choreography, "Lamberena" with the San Francisco Ballet, Ballet of Utah, Florida, Indiana, Singapore, and South Africa.

From 1958-62, Dr. Diouf was director of the Mali Ensemble, a multinational company representing the unity of the West African countries of Mali, Senegal and Guinea. He became director of "Les Ballets Africanes," in 1963 and later the Senegalese National Dance Company from 1964-68. In 1969, he joined the faculty of Southern Illinois University while working with Ms. Katherine Dunham.Dr. Diouf's knowledge and expertise in African art and culture was so valued that in 1970 he wa among performers invited to the White House Conference for children. In June of 1996, Dr. Diouf was one amoung hundred drummers selected to attend the "World Drum for Peace Parade," in Atlanta Georgia as a prelude to organizing the opening of the Olympics.

Since 1973, Dr. Diouf has taught at San Jose State University, Sonoma State University, University of San Diego, University of California at Los Angeles and San Francisco, and California State Hayward. Dr. Diouf currently teaches West African music, dance and history at Laney Community College in Oakland, is an Artist-In-Residence teaching free women's Sabar Drum techniques along with weekly classes in music and dance at the Alice Arts Center in Oakland, and does consulting and workshops in drum-making, choreography, African history and performing arts.

Mrs. Naomi Diouf is the Artistic Director of Diamano Coura West African Dance Company. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and minor in African History from the University of California, San Diego. In 1986, she choreographed "The African Womanhood" - a chronicle of works by traditional African female choreographers distributing the qualities of the African womanhood. These productions remain the definitive treatment of traditional African dances on the modern stage. After several successful stage presentations in was video-taped for broadcast by PBS. In 1999, Naomi's accomplishments to Oakland Arts-In-Education and cultural arts community were documented for KTVU's Family to Family.

Naomi was born in Monrovia, Liberia where her artistic career was greatly influenced by dances she learned at the "Kendeja" Cultural Center for indigenous performers. Beginning dance at the age of 10, throughout her dance career Naomi also studied with prominent dancers and musicians from other West African countries. In 1973, Naomi studied ballet and modern dance under Ms. Constance Taul of the Paris Ballet and has done extensive research and comparative analysis of dance forms from around the world.

As an expert in West African dance, she has assisted and choreographed works for numerous performing companies including: the Dutch Theater Van Osten in the Netherlands and Belgium, U.C. Berkeley's Drama Department, Dimensions Dance Theater in Oakland, and Kankoran Dance Company in Washington D.C. In 1998 and 1999, Naomi collaborated with the San Francisco Ballet in the premiere, "Lambarena," Ballet for Utah, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet of Florida, the Singapore and South African Ballet.

Naomi is a strong advocate of Arts-In-Education and has conducted and organized various projects that introduce the arts to youth and merge acdemics, music and dance. For 15 years she has worked with the Arts Through Education programs in the San Diego, Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Oakland, Richmond, and Alameda School Districts to promote cultural literacy. Naomi currently teaches West African dance and culture at Berkeley High School to over 400 young teens a semester, at Laney College and the Alice Arts Center in Oakland. Naomi also consults and conducts workshops in costume design, cultural event/program coordinating, and West African culture.

Nimely V. Napla is a master dancer, craftsmen, costume designer, choreographer and former director of the Liberian National Cultural Troupe. Nimely came to the United States in the early 1980s while touring with the Cultural Troupe to perform at the Louisiana World Exposition and share his artistic talents and vision. He was awarded a certificate from the Commissioner General for his service to the New Orleans SPCA classic horse show. In August of the same year he also began work with the New Orleans Public School System’s Artist-in-School program.

From 1985 to 1989, Nimely founded a performing company in Columbus, Ohio and in 1994 he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he currently reside and formed the Nimely Pan African Dance Company, the only Liberian traditional dance company in Minnesota. Under his direction the Nimely Pan African Dance Company has toured nationally and annually hosts Panafest, a West African dance and drum conference. The company has been invited to perform by the NAACP in Washington DC and for numerous Liberian delegates including Ambassador Rachel G. Diggs and for two years in a row, Liberian President Ellen Johnson.

Nimely has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence by former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, and has performed and created woodcarvings at the Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, the 1996 Olympics, and as an educator with numerous school districts in Minnesota, California, and Louisiana. As costumed designer and choreographer he has been commissioned by renowned companies such as Diamano Coura West African Dance Company based in California and Kankouran Dance Company based in Washington, DC.

N’deye Penda Toure hails from Senegal and Mali, West Africa. She began dancing at age of 10 with “Enfance-Vie-Espoir," a non-profit organization under the direction of Mame Birame Faye and with the mission of using the arts to help orphaned children in Senegal. Penda joined Diamano Coura West African Dance Company in 2007. With directors Naomi and Zak she has been able to learn and experiment with various dance styles from all over West Africa and reconnecting with her roots. She will obtain her AA degree in June 2009 and transfer to a 4-year college majoring in International Relation and Finance.

Tamika Davis's passion for West African dance began her sophomore year at Berkeley High School then continued on to classes she took at Laney and Alameda Community Colleges. From her dance experiences in high school and through college she realized that all she wanted to do was to live, feel and breath West African dance. She joined Diamano Coura in 2000, premiering in performances at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Mendicino Ethic Festival and other major engagements statewide. Her experience with Diamano Coura has continued to amaze her and she looks forward to the next 10 years of being one of "those who bring the message."

Tashia Bell hails from Oakland, California. She has performed and toured with Diamano Coura since 1993 throughout the United States and internationally. She believes that, "dance is my life's passion, my soul's joy."

Ibrahima O. Diouf began dancing professionally at the age of 12 with Diamano Coura West African Dance Company led by Naomi Diouf and Emmy Award winner Dr. Zakariya Diouf. Alongside his national and international work with Diamano Coura he has studied with other artists and companies including: Kankouran Dance Company led by Assane Konte in Washington, DC, Youssouf Kombassa in New York, the late Abdoulaye Camara former Director of the National Dance Company of Senegal and Alabatu Dance Company in New Orleans, Nimley Napla former Director of the Liberian National Culture Troupe and the late Kemoko Sano former Director ofLes Ballets Africaines (Guinea). Spreading his dance wings into Hip-Hop and Drill Team Ibrahima has studied with NewStyle Motherlode led by Corey Action and Teela Shine and Mixed Blues. Ibrahima is currently will be attending the Arts International University for Art and Design.

Dancing since the age of eight it was in middle school that Patrice Henderson discovered her passion for dance. She enjoyed various styles of dance, yet it was West African dance caught her eye and heart. she first began her dance career with African Queens, dancing throughout California and touring in Beijing, China. In 2006 she joined Diamano Coura and currently is majoring in dance hoping to one day direct a company of her own.

La Donna Higgins has been performing professionally for the past 17 years with such companies as Diamano Coura under the direction of Naomi and Zakariya Diouf and Kankouran Dance Company (Washington D.C.) under the direction of Assane Konte. La Donna has also performed alongside renowned artists: Senegalese Duo Ousseynou & Assane Kouyate, Azziz Faye and Marie Basse-Wiles to name a few. Touring world renowned showcases such as the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Africans are Coming, People Like Me, and Yerba Buena Day of Arts Festival, La Donna brings to the stage the cultural traditions of West African dance along with her vibrant personality and captivating smile. For La Donna: “African Dance is my religion. I eat, think and live dance. African Dance has taught me the ways of my ancestors and guides me in my day to day life. Every rhythm and every movement carries me and gives me that unspeakable peace in my heart.”

Esailama G. A. Diouf has been a performing member of Oakland–based Diamano Coura since 1989. Esailama has also worked with choreographers and directors in the United States from various genres of African-derived dance theatre including the late Dr. Pearl Primus and Kemoko Sano and theatre companies such as the Ballet Folklorico de Bahia, Les Ballets Africaines, and the Liberian National Cultural Troupe. Internationally, she has worked with director John Martin (London) and such performing companies as Le Ballet National du Sénégal (Senegal), Theatre for Africa (South Africa) and Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre (India). She is currently a doctoral candidate in Performance Studies at Northwestern University. Her research looks at the 1966 First World Festival of Negro Arts, the migration of professional dancers and dancing from the Senegal region to the United States during the 1960s and the performance of Africanness.

Jah-Yee Woo began her study as a dancer at the Los Ayres Dance Studio (San Leandro, CA) in modern and ballet for fourteen years. It was not until she attended Williams College (Williamstown, MA), that she was introduced to African-derived dance and joined the Kusika Dance Company, under the direction of Sandra Burton. Through attending dance courses at Laney College and the Malonga Casquelord Center for the Arts in Oakland, California she was introduced to Zak and Naomi Diouf. After six years of apprenticeship with Diamano Coura, she began performing with the company in 2005 and currently serves as the company’s office manager.

Darian LaFoucade hails from Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. In 1993 he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and began studying various styles of dance and drumming with Dehconte Liberian Dance Company. Two years later he joined Diamano Coura West African Dance Company developing his skills in choreography while working as an apprentice teacher under Diamano Coura company directors, Zak and Naomi Diouf, at Berkeley High School. Darian has performed professionally in major theatre venues and universities in San Francisco, New York, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Houston, Las Vegas and Taipei, Taiwan. In 1997 Darian was awarded the Barkley Philanthropic Society Fellowship Award, continuing his mission to impart to all age groups the knowledge and skills of West African dance and drum history and culture that he has acquired over the years and continues to learn.

Madiou Diouf hails from the United States, Senegal and Liberia, West Africa. Growing up with a strong percussion background he was first taught by his father Dr. Zakariya Diouf at a young age to play both djembe and sabar drum orchestra. In 1998 Madiou landed his first big gig, playing with renowned musicians in the '98 Olympics followed by the 2005 BET Awards opening act. Currently a Sound Arts major at Expressions College for Digital Arts he is also a producer and founder of Spoken Hands Productions.

Dedeh A. LaFoucade began her professional career in dance over 16 years ago. Through her study and performance of West African dance she has been able to stay grounded to her Liberian roots and pass her embodied knowledge down to her children and generations to come. She began her professional career in 1993 with Dehcontee Liberian Dance Company, based in Oakland, California and by 2000 had advanced to Assistant Artistic Director. In 2005 she decided to expand her repertoire of dance and joined Diamano Coura West African Dance Company. With Diamano Coura she became versed in dances from the regions of Mali, Guinea, Gambia and Senegal while also furthering her understanding of Liberian dance culture.

For Dedeh, dance is "the rhythm within that moves me through every aspect of my life. Being a part of Diamano Coura is a wonderful experience that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. There is such an extreme amount of knowledge that not only helps me with dance but to also guide me through all aspects of life. I plan to continue dancing until my body and spirit won't allow me to. Dancing brings me balance, it completes me."