Afriky Lolo

West African Dance Compnay

Staff

Afriky Lolo has a staff full of amazing and dedicated dancers. We are grateful for the many years of passion, commitment and support from these wonderful people. Please take a minute to meet our staff members.

Diadie Bathily

Artistic Director

Diádié Bathily (pronounced Jah-Jay) is the artistic director of Afriky Lolo, a dance company based in St. Louis that he founded in 2003 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 2007. Diádié is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, instructor and costume designer. He has danced professionally for over 30 years on stages in Africa, Europe and North America. Diádié’s specialty is West African dance. He has conducted master classes and workshops throughout Europe and north America and has performed with or choreographed for such notable companies as the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (Denver, CO), the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts & Humanities (East St. Louis, IL), Ecole de Danse et d’Echange Culturel with Ms. Marie Rose Guiraud (Ivory Coast) and Broadway Dance Center (New York, NY). Diádié is the recipient of the n’gowa Prize for dance in Ivory Coast and has performed at the United nations, the Village of Arts and Humanities in Philadelphia and many festivals and events around the U.S.

Rokya Outtara

Assistant Artistic Director

Rokia is an international dancer with over ten years of training at the Ivory Coast School of Dance and Culture Exchange where she studied, performed and earned a Certificate in African Dance. She has performed and taught workshops in African dance throughout Africa and Europe, and her study includes working with French Choregraphers Hélène Stuart and Kosua Ghiamph. She is also an actor, poet, acrobat and percussionist.

Caph Guei

Music Director

Caph Guei is the musical director of Afriky Lolo. A native of Ivory Coast, West Africa, Caph holds the distinct title “Master Drummer,” having mastered several indigenous drum styles and rhythms including the djembe drum. Born in Abidjan, he began his professional career with “Les Guirivoires” Dance Company in Ivory Coast founded by Rose Marie Guiraud in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire in 1973. Mr. Guei has performed exten- sively throughout Africa, Europe, Canada and the United States. He also teaches Afriky Lolo’s drumming classes throughout the St. Louis area.

Turkessa Morgan

Yele Assistant

aka turk has been dancing since the age of 10 when she fell in love with many di erent styles of dance. Dance was actually her second passion, music was rst. Turk began playing the violin at an early age fascinated by its beautiful sounds. She soon put down the violin, picked up her dancing shoes and never looked back.

Jamila Ajanaku

Yele Assistant

Jamila Ajanaku’s career extends beyond the United States. She has taught in Japan, Ghana, Hawaii, and works with the Harambee Institute that teaches Dunham Technique, West African dance, the art of drumming, jewelry making, and storytelling techniques. Ms. Ajanaku, a participle a des stages de danse et de percussion a I’ EDEC (Abidjan / Coted d’ ivorie), has danced with Afriky LOLO Dance Company for over 10 years. Ajanaku continues her commitment to teaching Dunham Technique, Arts and Education conducting a variety of workshops throughout the Mid-West and abroad.

Steven Martin

Yele Assistant

Mark Steven Martin II is a native of East Saint Louis, Illinois. Mark attended East Saint Louis District 189 and later completed and graduated with the Class of 2007 at the Collinsville High School. He began his training at an early age at the SIUE East Saint Louis Center of the Performing Arts, under the direction of Theo Jamison! He’s a former member and choreographer of his very own church dance team, where he displayed and taught the roots of his dance training. While studying Dunham technique Steve found an interest in other dance styles, branched out and joined : The Unity Theatre Ensemble, Beyond Measurable Ability, JPEK Productions, and currently is an active member and Assistant Choreographer of the amazing AFRIKY LOLO WEST AFRICAN DANCE COMPANY and has been a member since 2007. Steven’s passion for dance is what has kept him going and the undying support and love from close family and friends. “You dance because you to. Dance is an essential part of life, that has always been with you.”- Katherine Dunham

Imani Amos

Staff member

Imani Amos is a professional traditional West African dancer. She began dancing at the age of five with Alyo Children’s Dance Theatre. Amos now is a principal dancer for Afriky Lolo West African Dance Company, the current director and choreographer for the Donia Dance Team of Betty Shabazz Academy, and the co-founder and director of Foliba - The National African Drum and Dance Conference for Children.

Rhonda Blue

Staff member

Brittany Conners

Staff member