Bibata Ibrahim Maiga, Sahadatou Ami Touré and Marcelle Kabran, dancers and AMA grantees, travelled from Bamako, Cotonou and Abidjan (respectively) to Dakar to participate in a residency at the Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor (January 20-February 2).
Bibata, Ami and Marcelle are part of a new generation of young dancers and choreographers that are spreading the power and message of dance across West Africa.
Born in Gao, Mali, Bibata was trained at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers Multimédias Balla Fasséké Kouyaté and the École des Sables. She is the founder and president of “I Dance’O”, an organization dedicated to promoting peace and national unity through dance.
Based in Cotonou, Sahadatou Ami Touré has been a professional dancer and choreographer since 2015. After several trainings at the École des Sables, she performed and toured in several shows in Benin, which eventually brought her all the way to South Korea.
Marcelle is a graduate of Abidjan’s National School of Dance and Theatre. She has been a member of Artisson Dance company since 2011 and Kassou-tri since 2012. She has performed widely with both companies.
Bibata, Ami and Marcelle were invited to Dakar by Nobless Dance Company and its founder, Serge Amoussou-Guenou. After a long stage of research in France and Benin on the tracks of King Béhanzin of Dahomey, M. Amoussou-Guenou created “Originally” to pay homage to the Amazons of Dahomey, emblems of courage and resistance in present-day Benin. Two Senegalese dancers also took part in the project.
We are so proud to have supported this spectacular trio and wish them much success and inspiration for all their future endeavours!
