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 chronicleof works by traditional African female choreographers distributing the qualities of the 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 was 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.