Cramton Auditorium filled with vibrant hues of blue, red and yellow during the 43rd annual KanKouran Dance Company concert last Saturday evening, celebrating West African culture with dancers, drummers and a pounding bass that vibrated the floor.
Wearing traditional attire, attendees watched an ensemble of 79 individuals ranging from toddlers to the elderly. This year’s performance was titled “SUNU GAAL,” or “our boat,” in Wolof, the main language of Senegal.
Eurica Huggins, the company’s public relations manager, defined their work as “not just a dance company, but a cultural movement.”
“The dances that KanKouran teaches and performs emanate from the classical tradition of African dance,” she said in her welcome address. These dances have been formed for centuries and passed on from generation to generation.”
Attendee Naaborko Hendricks, once a little girl who danced on the children’s team, felt nostalgic watching the performances 30 years later.
“I remember being the youngest, then going to the teenagers and then to the adults. Me and my entire family have all been dancers and drummers,” Hendricks said.
Seeing the dancers, whom she described as beautiful and strong, made her excited to dance again.
What originally began with only two people has transformed into the KanKouran Dance Company that has been performing for over four decades.
After growing up together in Dakar, Senegal, in 1973, Assane Konte, the artistic director, and the late former director of music, Abdou Kounta, co-founded the company in Washington, D.C.
Since then, according to the concert’s program and Huggins, the company has served more than 11 million students and has 800,000 class participants across the globe.
Laverte Mathis, a long-time fan of their productions, said the show is the “personification of African culture through dance.”
Cultural traditions are seen in the ruffles and flow of the outfits, fast-paced stomping and meticulous footwork and “dashing,” — throwing money onto the performers to honor them.
“Dance is language in and of itself, and the drums they’re signaling the rhythm. The greatest gift of African dance is the feeling, and if you don’t feel it, something is wrong,” Mathis said.
The performance was broken up into distinct sections, with changes in lighting, dancers and musical dedications in between. The inspiration for “SUNU GAAL” was boats as an essential part of fishing, agriculture and community. This culture among the Lebou, Serer and Walo-Walo tribes of modern-day Senegal unite over Sabar, which their program described as the “cultural rhythm and heartbeat of Senegalese life.”
Most of the choreography was done by Konte, with help from several other KanKouran members. During intermission, visitor Alison Camara said she came from New York to watch.
“[Konte] is just the coolest. I think he’s a genius in some ways and so it’s always a pleasure to be here,” Camara said.
The observation most often referenced, though, was the joy conveyed through the dancers and drummers, with attendee and front-row seated guest Tiffany Adebo saying it was amazing to see the talent and “encouraging to see people bring joy.”
“With all the ages and just being able to do what you love. I think it’s beautiful,” Adebo said.
Copy edited by Jori Johnson