Our Team

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

Rokya Ouattara

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

Musical 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.

  • Dominique Beeks

    President

  • Imani Amos

    Director of Operations

  • Turkessa Morgan

    Rehearsal Diector

  • Steven Martin

    Rehearsal Director

  • Omari Holt

    Head of Logistics + Legal Counsel

  • Haley Rainey

    Executive Assistant

  • Jurnee Young

    Social Media Manager