TAZIA Inc. - Festival Artists

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Featured Artists at the New York New Year's African Dance Festival!

See Who Came to the Festival in 2007!
Read bios of the New York New Year’s African Dance Festival artists! Each of the artists below
not only taught at the New York City Center (12/29/07 thru 1/1/08), but they also graced the
stage on December 30, 2007 at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, in a live concert
choregraphed by Pape N’Diaye! Tell us which teachers to invite this year! See below.

Coura N’Diaye - (Senegal)

Born and raised in Dakar, Senegal, Coura N’Diaye is a phenomenal dance artist formally trained by Mansa Gueye, director of the National Ballet of Senegal. After arriving in the US, she had a mission to promote and perform Senegalese dance. In 1998, she formed Sunugal Ballet, a Senegalese dance company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She currently teaches and performs in locations across the US.

Ousmane Sall - (Senegal)

Senegalese born Ousmane Sall is one of the gems hailing from the National Ballet of Senegal. After traveling internationally with the company, he came to the US where he is the founder and artistic director of Yakar Roots and Rhythms Dance Company. A well-known favorite in New York City, he specializes in teaching souruba, sabar, and djembe styles of dance. Ousmane Sall currently teaches extenstively throughout the US and has regular sabar classes in Harlem, NY.

Ndeye Gueye - (Senegal)

Ndeye Gueye, known for her electric femininity, is a dynamic dancer from Grand Dakar, Senegal. She has performed and traveled internationally with several companies including Ballet Diamone Tey, Ballet Bara, and Ballet Bougarabou. In 1993 she 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. Ndeye Gueye currently teaches sabar dance throughout the San Fransisco Bay Area and works closely with Dimensions Dance Theater.

Nafisa Sharriff - (New York, New York)

Native New Yorker, Nafisa Sharriff is an award-winning dance instructor who has performed professionally with Chuck Davis, Kariaba West African Dance Company, and various music and film artists such as Stevie Wonder, Spike Lee and Whitney Houston. Nafisa Sharriff has taught in colleges and universities in New York and across the country, and has choreographed dance pieces for high profile plays and festivals. For more than 15 years she has been teaching free African dance classes, held currently at the Countee Cullen Community Center in Harlem, NY.

Crystal Harrison - (New York, New York)

Crystal Harrison is a powerful dancer who began her professional dance career more than 20 years ago at the LaRocque Bey School of Dance Theatre. In addition to being trained under the legendary LaRocque Bey, she studied African dance at various schools such as Djoniba Dance and Drum Center, and Dance Centre of Harlem. She also credits her African dance training to renowned artists such as Wilhelmina Taylor, Babatunde Olatunji, Nafisa Sharriff, and Imani Khan. Crystal Harrison is currently the choreographer and artstic director for the A’sabi N’goma Dance Theatre, based in Harlem, NY.

Amina Heckstall - (Jamaica, New York)

Dancer, choreographer, and songwriter, Amina Heckstall has been a performing artist for most of her life. She has an amazing dedication to the teachings of the history of African dance, and she also celebrates the innovations that African-Americans have contributed to the dance through her Gang-Gang African-American dance classes. Amina Heckstall is the founder and director of the 13-year old dance company, Ballet International Africans, which is based in Jamaica, NY. She also she teaches regular weekly children and adult dance classes in Queens, NY.

Sandella Malloy - (Charleston, South Carolina)

Sandella Malloy is a phenomenal choreographer and dancer who enjoys giving back to her community. In addition to teaching free children and adult dance classes in Harlem, she is the co-founder and artistic director of Harambee Dance Company, a non-profit organization originally founded in Charleston, South Carolina more than 15 years ago. When her company relocated to Manhattan in 1996, Sandella Malloy maintained her vision of celebrating and expanding the traditional uses of the dance, through masterful and high energy choreography that weaves African-based movement, modern dance forms, live percussion, and vibrant costumes into captivating performances.

Assane Konte - (Senegal)

A former dancer for Senegal’s Ballet Africaine de Diebel Guee, Assane Konte is one of America’s most celebrated dance artists. Since his arrival in the US in 1978, he has set standards of excellence in African dance performance and instruction. Assane Konte currently serves on the faculty at Howard University and hosts the nation’s largest African dance conference through his 24-year-old non-profit, KanKouran West African Dance Company in Washington, DC.

Marietou Camara - (Guinea)

Marietou Camara is a former dancer for Les Merveilles d'Afrique, and the National Ballet of Guinea, Les Ballets Africains. She has an amazing style of dance that mesmerizes students and audiences everywhere. Her late husband, Papa Kemoko Sano once described her movements as "fexible", "natural", and "gazelle-like". In addition to traveling extensively as an instructor and guest artist, Marietou Camara currently lives and teaches regular classes in the San Francisco Bay area.

Pape N’Diaye - (Senegal)

A multi-talented artist, Pape N’Diaye is a seasoned performer, instructor and choreographer in djembe, kutiro, sabar, modern and African contemporary dance forms. He has been a member of numerous acclaimed Senegalese traditional and contemporary dance companies, including the National Ballet of Senegal, Cinquihme Dimension, Ballet Sinomew, Forêt Sacrée, and Manhattan Dance School. Pape N’Diaye is also a former lead dancer for Jant-Bi, where he choreographed pieces for the award-winning FAGAALA, Jant-Bi’s most recently toured production. In the US, he has choreographed and performed with Kinodance Company, Maimouna Keita School of African Dance, and the Harvard University Pan-African Dance and Music Ensemble, to name a few. Pape N’Diaye is the founder of the Ndaje Festival, Boston’s annual African dance and drum celebration, and he currently maintains regular weekly classes in Boston and in New York City.

Mariama Basse - (Senegal)

Mariama Basse is a former dancer for the Senegalese dance companies Gorée Mon Histoire, Forêt Sacrée, and the National Ballet of Senegal. A new favorite at dance conferences across the US, Mariama Basse brings a fresh, young and purely feminine flavor to her djembe, kutiro and sabar dance classes. She is presently the assistant choreographer for the Maimouna Keita School of African Dance in New York City.

Babacar N’Diaye - (Senegal)

Babacar N’Diaye is a former lead dancer for the National Ballet of Senegal and Diamono African Ballet. With his dynamic energy, creativity, and powerful movements, he entertains crowds and inspires his dance students. Babacar N’Diaye is now the artistic director of Return to Gorée African Dance Company, and he teaches regular classes in Baltimore, MD.

Ismael Kouyate - (Guinea)

Born in Conakry, Guinea into a family of griots and musicians, Ismael Kouyaté is an extraordinary dancer, choreographer, and singer. He has toured internationally as a former principal dancer of Les Percussions de Guinea, and the national company, Les Ballets Africains. Ismael Kouyaté currently lives in New York and teaches regular djembe dance classes in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Rich Baba Faye - (Senegal)

Rich Baba Faye has a crisp and unique style of dance that is attributed to his deep family roots in Sabar music and dance. As a young boy he was a premier performer in Ballet Sing Sing Rhythms, and he has toured internationally with many world renowned mbalax bands such as Youssou N’Dour, Fallou Dieng, Baaba Maal, Ismael Lo, Doudou N’Diaye Rose and Mbaye Gueye Faye. Rich Baba Faye currently teaches and performs at festivals and conferences across the US, and has regular weekly classes in the San Francisco Bay area.

Marie Basse-Wiles - (Senegal)

Born in Dakar, Senegal, with family ties in Mali, Marie Basse-Wiles is known for her graceful moves and keen wisdom of the traditions of djembe, kutiro and sabar dances. In her career she has toured world-wide with renowned dance companies including Ballet National of Senegal and Koumpo Dance Company. In 1983, Marie Basse-Wiles founded the Maimouna Keita School of African Dance, which hosts the largest and longest-running African dance conference in New York City.

Djeneba Sako - (Mali)

Djeneba Sako, from the Malian Troupe Baden'ya, is a graceful yet powerful master dancer with a unique style that 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.

Tenenfig Dioubate - (Guinea)

As a griot and former principal dancer from Guinea’s Les Ballets Africains and Les Merveilles d’Afrique, and Senegal’s Ballet Silimbo D’Adeane, Tenenfig Dioubate is well versed in Guinean and Senegalese dance. In addition to traveling internationally for performances and workshops, she currently serves as the resident dance instructor for Camden, New Jersey’s Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble, one of the largest African dance ensembles in the country.

Assane and Ousseynou Kouyate "The Twins" - (Senegal)

Born in Mali to a griot family, Assane and Ousseynou Kouyate grew up in Dakar, Senegal and are former members of the National Ballet of Senegal. Affectionately called, "The Twins," these dynamic master dancers moved to the states in 1997 and currently teach regular classes in the San Francisco Bay area. Also singers, they perform regularly with their music band, Djialy Kunda Kouyate.

Who Do You Want to See at the Festival in 2008?
Send a list of your favorite dance and music teachers to featuredartist@taziainc.com!

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