Today we’d like to introduce you to Assane Konte.
Hi Assane, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been a dancer all my life. It’s all I have ever wanted to do. My career as a professional dancer began at age 15, and for 12 years I traveled throughout West Africa performing and training with some of the best dancers in the region. In 1978, I came to the United States to pursue a career as an independent artist with a vision to start my own dance company. I founded KanKouran Dance Company in April 1984, in Washington, DC, along with my childhood friend and Master Drummer, Abdou Kounta, who I found out was also living in DC at the time. Through my experiences traveling and working in various communities, I knew that I wanted KanKouran to preserve and promote traditional West African culture by providing quality entertainment and educational programs to facilitate cross-cultural enrichment. My objective, as an artist, has always been to provide intercultural and educational experiences and to increase audiences’ understanding and appreciation of African culture through the presentation of traditional African dance. My greatest accomplishment, however, is that as I approach my 76th birthday this year, I am teaching the grandchildren of some of the original members of my dance company. I am so grateful to still be living my dream as a dancer, teacher, performer, and choreographer. It’s not just what I do. It’s who I am.
My artistic mission serves and encompasses three very important communities. The first being the greater Washington, DC area. I serve this community through culturally enriching programs such as weekly dance classes, in-school and after-school programs, school residencies, and performances at public and private events. The second community is comprised of dancers and drummers in KanKouran’s Children, Teen, and Senior companies. My success indicator includes the large number of past and present company members involved in diverse academic and professional careers, who credit their time in KanKouran with instilling within them the vision, discipline, pride and commitment to self and community which have made their life pursuits meaningful and successful. My third community, and strongest support base, is comprised of our weekly class participants. Aside from regularly attending classes, new and long-time members organize fundraisers, host promotional events, assist with field trips for our children and teens, and provide educational resources, financial support, and inspiration to myself and the organization. The difficulty in working with this community is that I never feel like I have shown them enough gratitude. However, because of the impact my art has had on them, their children, and their communities, they feel as if they can never do enough to say thank you. It is this reciprocal relationship of support and giving that really lies at the heart of the “village” concept upon which KanKouran is modeled.
Traditional African dances and rhythms were never created for entertainment purposes. Originating from a people and culture that is communal in nature, the dances and rhythms always served a purpose in the village community. Dances were done for healing, weddings, naming ceremonies, baptisms, or as rites of passage for young boys and girls transitioning into adulthood. Other dances were created to reflect the surrounding elements of nature or daily life, such as birds or trees, hunting, cooking, farming, etc. In addition, traditional dances and ceremonies were always done in circles with everyone participating. Through my work, choreography, costumes, and overall presentations, I have always tried to bring audiences to the village and invite them into the circle, while still preserving the traditional and cultural characteristics of the dances and ceremonies being performed.
Throughout the past 43 years, KanKouran has established itself as the premier center for the study and performance of traditional West African dance, and is home to three performing companies: the Senior Company (adults), Junior Company (teens), and Children’s company. During that time, KanKouran has been consistently providing a wide range of services including in-school performances and residencies; creative projects to engage and educate hearing-impaired, physically challenged, and elderly populations; customized dance and drum workshops for all ages in the authentic dance and drumming styles of select West African ethnic groups; guided tours to Senegal for students, artists, and community members; specialized training with the touring “Ballet KanKouran” professional dancers and drummers; and staged performances at countless local, national, and international venues. In addition, KanKouran hosts the only national African dance conference in the U.S., featuring three days of dance and drum workshops, serving more than 4,000 participants annually.
My lifelong dedication to preserving and sharing Africa’s rich culture through KanKouran’s artistic excellence has made the company a goodwill ambassador, promoting cross-cultural appreciation and understanding in the many performance venues in which we have appeared. As a result, I received individual recognition, and the company has been honored with many prestigious arts and outstanding community service awards.
KanKouran has worked very hard to present meticulous choreography that has helped move U.S. based African dance to its highest level. In doing so, I have always challenged our Senior Company dancers and drummers to achieve impressive levels of virtuosity and technical ability. In addition to an annual schedule throughout the U.S., where I have the opportunity to teach at dance various conferences, I am honored to have been invited to teach or create choreography at annual events in Poland, Hawaii, Japan, and St. Croix as well. I am also proud to have held faculty positions in the dance departments at American University, Georgetown University, and George Mason University. I presently serve on the faculty of the Dance Department at Howard University, where I have been teaching for over 40 years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest struggle along the way has been getting people to appreciate, respect, and value African dance as an artform.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
KanKouran’s outstanding reputation has spawned numerous alliances/collaborations with organizations and institutions throughout the United States and abroad. Some of these include the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Smithsonian Institution; National Symphony Orchestra; Lincoln Center; Brooklyn Academy of Music; California Center for the Arts; Imagination Celebration, Colorado Springs, CO; Howard University; Model Secondary School for the Arts at Gallaudet University; American University; George Mason University; University of Pittsburgh; University of Washington, Seattle, WA; the Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas; Virginia Technical Institute; Silesian Dance Theater and the Dance Festival Krakow in Poland; Maui Dance Council, Hawaii; Japan Cultural Arts Center, Tokyo; the Island Center for the Performing Arts, St. Croix; the Emancipation Program Committee, Trinidad and Tobago; and also for several prestigious events at the White House under two different administrations.
KanKouran is unique in that only the Artistic Director is originally from Africa. All of its dancers and drummers are from the Washington, DC area. Therefore, it is an honor and a true testament to KanKouran’s stage presence, professionalism, and artistic accuracy when the company is invited to national and international events to represent Africa.
Throughout its 43 years, KanKouran has had the honor and pleasure of performing alongside a number of dance companies of various disciplines. Some of them include the African American Dance Ensemble, Durham, NC; Maimouna Keita African Dance Co., New York, NY; Adefua Music and Dance Co., Seattle, WA; Afasge’la Dance Co., Big Island, Hawaii; Dimensions Dance Theatre, Oakland, CA; KO-THI Dance Co., Milwaukee, WI; Nubian Cultural Dance Co., Chicago, IL; African Arts Festival, Inc., Chicago, IL; Diamono Coura African Dance Co., Oakland, CA; Lisangua Ya Bato Drum and Dance Ensemble, New York State, NY; Augusta Heritage Center, Elkins, WV; Duffy Liturgical Dance Co., Shaker Heights, OH; African Beginnings Children’s Dance Co., Columbus, OH; and Sankofa Dance Co., Philadelphia, PA.
KanKouran has also had the pleasure of collaborating with guest choreographers, including Evans Antoine (Shango); Ronald K. Brown (Ground for Redemption); Aboubacar “Oscar” Camara (Sundiata Suite); Mouminatou Camara (Doundoun Ba); TAPS & Co (Juba); Sherrill Berryman Johnson (Take Me to the Water/Going Back Home); Babacar N’daiye (Sabar Suite); Babacar M’Baye (Bara M’Baye, Nyrigoron); Idy Ciss (Serer); Mariama Basse (Balanta); and many others.
KanKouran’s repertoire is a brilliant reflection of the excellence in artistry and performance that is so widely associated with the company. Since its inception, the artistic and musical directors have met the great challenge of adapting traditional African dance and drum in a Western performance context; communicating the rich and complex history and culture of West Africa with the technical prowess, energy and grace that entertains and moves audiences everywhere. The overwhelming majority of the dances/rhythms performed are from Senegal, Guinea, Gambia and Mali, with works set to the most prevalent percussion orchestras used in those regions (Djembe, Kutiro, and Sabar). However, KanKouran’s Senior Company has also collaborated on works with Native American, Japanese, European, Latin America, Indian, and Caribbean artists, reflecting the quality of training, depth of talent, and skill of KanKouran’s dancers and drummers.
Some of the many works Artistic Director, Assane Konte, has choreographed include Akonkon (Diola;Senegal); Balanta (Balanta/Guinea-Bissau, Senegal); Bantaba (Senegal-Casamance region); Bara Mbaye (Wolof/Senegal); Bougourabou (Senegal-Casamance region); Ching (Senegal-Casamance region); Diamague (Bambara/Senegal, Mali); Djinafoly/Bara (Senegal); Djalidon (Bambara/Mali, Senegal); Djondon (Wolosso/Mali); DunDun Ba (Mandinka/Guinea); Frokroba (Malinke/Guinea); Kaolack (Wolof/Senegal); Kake Lambe (Bajua/Guinea); Koteba (Malinke/Guinea); Koumpo (Diola/Senegal); Lamba (Bambara/Mali, Senegal); Lengen (Senegal); Lumbeul (Wolof/Senegal); Mandiani (Mali, Guinea, Senegal); Marakadon (Mali); Monsonko (Malinke/Guinea); Ndep (Lebou/Senegal); Ngri (Senegal); Nyari Ngoroh (Senegal); Piteume (Serer, Lebou/Senegal); Sounou (Mali, Senegal); Sorsone (Guinea); Thieboudienne (Wolof/Senegal); Wango (Mali); Wolosso Don (Wolosso/Mali); Yaba (Wolof/Senegal); and Yaradal (Mandingo/Senegal-Casamance).
Pricing:
- Weekly Adult Drum Classes $15
- Weekly Adult Dance Classes $15
- Weekly Children’s Drum Classes $12
- Weekly Children’s Dance Classes $12
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/kankourandance
- Instagram: @kankourandance
- Facebook: @KanKouranDance
