West African Dance (DVD)

West African Dance
By Abdoulaye Camara and Nikola Clay
DVD  

Learn 5 West African choreographies:   

1. Yole - a traditional mask dance from the Temne people of Sierra Leone, near the Guinean borders. It is danced by young and old at nearly all festive occasions.
2. KuKu - from the forest region of Guinea. A rhythm originally used to welcome initiates back in to the village.
3. Tiriba - a welcoming dance of the Baga people from northwestern Guinea.
4. Mandiani - a traditional Malinke rhythm from eastern Guinea, originally danced by the young girls of the village before coming of age.
5. Telefone - a recently composed rhythm and dance from Guinea. Telefone refers to the role drums play in bringing people together in Africa. Before the telephone, people used drums to communicate. This rhythm and dance was composed in 1995 by Master Sekouba Camara of Guinea.   

Each dance is presented in 3 segments. First, the dance is broken down, step by step, at a slow tempo (showing Abdoulaye with students in a dance studio). Next, the entire choreography is shown from behind at a medium tempo (showing Abdoulaye and Nikola). Last, the choreography is shown from the front, at the regular tempo (showing Abdoulaye with drummers).  The DVD also has footage of drumming and dancing at a camp in Guinea. 

A CD which includes music for Yole, KuKu, and Tiriba is available separately (item 850223).