Featured Dancers

	Assane Konte, a national of Senegal, West Africa, is the Founder and Artistic Director, Choreographer, Costume Designer for KanKouran West African Dance Company of Washington, DC. Mr. Konte began his dance training at age 12, and studied with many prominent traditional dancers and musicians throughout West Africa. These teachers/mentors, born in Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, and Senegal, were key to his development as a multi-talented artist. His career as a professional dancer began at age 15 with the "Ballet Africaine de Diebel Guee" of Dakar, Senegal. During his ten years with the company, he electrified audiences with his performances, while simultaneously developing his own movement style. In 1978, following a tour in Cote d'Ivoire where he worked and performed as a guest consultant for a locally based dance company, Mr. Konte came to the United States to pursue a career as an independent performer, working with numerous organizations, as musical arranger, and choreographer.
	M’Bayero
	Born in Boke, Guinea, Alseny Soumah’s international acclaim as a Performance Artist includes Solo Artist with renowned companies Les Merveilles D’ Afrique and Le Ballet du Guinea. Alseny is a much sought after guest artist for stage, dance conferences and classes of instruction, bringing a fresh new flavor to the art of dance as well as cultural enrichment through his teaching and promotion of the dance and drum culture of Guinea. His style is recognized by his students and audience members as electrifying, yielding energetic performances and creative choreographies.
	Mabiba Baegne is an internationally acclaimed teacher, drummer and choreographer of traditional and contemporary African Dance. Mabiba was born in Congo Brazzaville and initiated into dancing by her grandparents at the age of eight. In addition to her native Congolese drumming, Mabiba has studied West African dunun drumming with master drummer Famoudou Konate in Guinea and was the first woman to teach this form in the United States. Mabiba is also an acclaimed singer and has toured and recorded with Salif Keita, master drummer Mamady Keita, and Samba Ngo.
	Of international acclaim, Djian Tié, began his dancing career at age 4 in Côte d’Ivoire. At age 16, he formed his first dance company, Kavotchia (Unity), which placed first in Côte d’Ivoire’s 1993 National Dance Competition, and thereafter toured Africa, Europe, and Asia. Mr. Tié’s choreographic skills span from the traditional African Zaouli style - to contemporary - to hip-hop. Since arriving in the United States in 1999, Mr. Tié has performed and taught African dance and drumming for many prestigious organizations and universities.
	Djeneba Sako, from the Malian Troupe Baden'ya, is a graceful yet powerful master dancer. Her unique style has allowed her to capitalize on the US Malian dance scene as one of the most sought-after dance instructors at conferences and festivals across the nation. She currently holds regular classes in Colorado.
	Julia Tsitsi Chigamba grew up in the cultural traditions of Shona music and dance, in a family in which every member sings, dances, and plays traditional music. Guided by her father Tute Chigamba, a gwenyambira (master mbira player) who is from a long line of musicians and storytellers, and her mother Laizah Chigamba, a master traditional dancer, the family continues to hold traditional bira ceremonies that exemplify Shona tradition. Julia writes, “Even during colonial times when ceremonies were banned and many people turned away from the culture, my family continued to hold onto the traditions…the most important thing is that the family is together and that we respect our ancestors and our traditions. It is how we survive.” Julia is a former Zimbabwean National Dance Company, a longtime member of Mhembero, the internationally known Chigamba family dance and mbira ensemble, Artistic Director of the Chinyakara Ensemble since 1999, and founder of the dance and drum ensemble Mafendefa. Ms. Chigamba has performed and taught widely in the United States and Canada, and now lives in Oakland, California. While many of her family members have traveled worldwide, Julia is the only one to set up long term residency outside of Zimbabwe.
	Baba Rich Faye comes from a long line of master sabar drummers and dancers. Considered a nguewel, meaning born into drumming and nursed from the drum, Rich grew up in Medina, the nguewel neighborhood of Dakar, learning from his father, grandfather and his uncles the secret of the drum. After mastering Sabar, Rich went on to master Djembe drumming as well. From a young age he stood out as one of the most talented of his generation. As a young boy he was a premier performer in Le Ballet Sing Sing Rhythm in both dancing and drumming. Rich has also toured the international stage (drumming, singing and/or dancing) with many world renowned mbalax bands such as Youssou N’Dour, Fallou Diene, Baaba Maal, Ismael Lo, N’Diaye Rose and Mbay Dieye Faye as well as Peter Gabriel and Wyclef Jean. He toured Africa with the Senegalese Rap group Positive Black Soul. He has performed with Khaley Nguewel and Dimensions Dance Group. Rich has taught and performed widely in the United States including Diamano Coura Collage des Cultures Conference in Oakland, California, Maimouna Keita African Dance Conference in New York City, KanKouran in Washington, DC, and Florida African Dance Festival in Tallahassee. His exciting talent for innovation keeps his style always fresh while respecting the traditions of Sabar. He is highly prized as a teacher and performer of Sabar dance and drum.
	Youssouf Koumbassa was born and raised in Guinea, West Africa, Youssouf began dancing at the age of six by studying and emulating the members of the National Ballet of Guinea and the leading dancers of the many local and regional dance companies in Guinea. Youssouf's father is from the Landuma people and his mother from the Baga/Susu people. In Guinea he studied under Sekouba Camara, Artistic Director of Ballet National Djoliba and also with Kemoko Sano, the acclaimed Artistic Director of Les Ballets Africains, developing his talents as a dancer, musician and choreographer. Since moving to the United States twenty years ago, Youssouf has established himself as the pre-eminent teacher of dance from Guinea, and now travels widely throughout the world as a much sought after master teacher at dance conferences, workshops, camps and schools. In the 1990's Youssouf formed Les Ballets Bagata, comprised of sixty dancers and drummers, followed by the formation of Children of Bagata, a company consisting of fifteen young dancers and musicians. Youssouf's mission has been and continues to be the exposure of the rich and varied cultures of Guinea to audiences around the world.
	Born in Grand Dakar, Senegal, Ndeye Gueye hails from a Griot family tradition (historical storytellers). At the age of 14, she was easily identified by her teachers and mentors as one with "gifts," skilled in dance, theater and song. She went on to perform and travel internationally with several companies including Ballet Diamone Tey, Ballet Bara, and Ballet Bougarabou. In 1993 Ndeye made her US debut and since then has performed at many dance festivals and with acclaimed musicians Youssou Ndour, Wyclef Jean, and Salif Keita. In 2004 she received the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Choreography and in 2005 her company, Chosaanu Africa Dance Company, was invited to perform at the Chinese Ethnic Dance festival. She currently teaches sabar dance and music throughout the Bay Area and works closely with Dimensions Dance Theater.