Dance

Founded over four decades ago by the great African drummer, Baba Robert Crowder, Kulu Mele African American Dance & Drum Ensemble is the longest running African dance company in Philadelphia. Now under the artistic direction of Dorothy Wilkie, Kulu Mele has built a repertoire that is an exciting mix of West African ancestral tradition and African American creativity. Performances include an exotic blend of music and dance of Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Brazil, Haiti, Cuba and African American heritage.

Soul Steps specializes in the live performance, artistic instruction, and educational outreach of African-based step dance. Under the direction of Maxine Lyle, Soul Steps reaches far beyond conventional boundaries and concentrates on the body as a percussive, story-telling instrument. The end result is a spirited performance steeped in the personal and cultural stories of the Soul Steps artists and the generations of ancestors they represent. Audience participation plays an integral part of their performance.

Angela “Sadio” Watson is a keeper of traditional African folklore. She has been performing, teaching, and studying African arts since 1989. Watson performed in Japan, Africa, and throughout the US receiving a foundation in Guinea folklore and tradition through the protégé students of the legendary Papa Ladji Camara. Watson was a Fulbright scholar from 1997-1998, studying the dance style of the villagers and formal ballet theater with the national ballets of Guinea. As a teacher she believes in the healing power of the dance and emphasizes the principles of community and village to teach dance.