Bios

Tonya Pennie believes in the power of dance to unite community, heal historical trauma, and raise body as voice to a transcendent communal artform....

Mami Sayon Camara is an accomplished West African drum/dance performer from Guinea, and new Lannaya performer and Company Teacher (she teaches technique to Lannaya company...

Graduate of Universidad Nacional Costa Rica, UNA. Class of 2015 · Danza · Heredia, Costa Rica. Bailarina. Contemporary Dance. Artista. Performer. Teacher. Director, professor...

Artist | Educator | Consultant | Ensemble Member Aysha Upchurch is an entrepreneur, artist, educator, and consultant who creates, facilitates, and designs for radical...

Training and Background Victoria joined Lannaya in 2021 to nurture her passion for West African dance and music. Since 2022, she has participated in...

Training and Background A native of Dallas, Texas, E’ja Alexander developed her dance foundation at the Dallas Black Dance Academy from January 2018 to...

Training and Background A native of Houston, Texas, Jamie Vallejo has dedicated over 25 years to studying and performing a wide range of dance...

Training and Background A native of Illinois, Hope Folarin’s journey with dance began in adolescence when her mother enrolled her in ballet lessons to...

Training and Background Brandon Grant’s journey with West African drumming began in late 2009 at the Youth Villages campus in Douglasville, Georgia. Under the...

Noah Mosgofian has been drumming for over 20 years. His performance career includes 6 years of touring with the international percussion sensation STOMP, and...

Musical Journey Brock has been immersed in music for nearly his entire life, mastering a wide variety of instruments and honing his skills as...

Owen Towles has been a percussionist for over 15 years. He has spent time learning rhythms from two different continents, having traveled to Brazil,...

Hailing from Conakry, Guinea, Mohamed Sylla joined Lannaya in 2024. He is the nephew of Aboubacar Sylla. Mohamed is wonderfully skilled on djembe, dununs,...

Shawn Guillory has been a percussionist for over 3 years. Although she’s always been fascinated with drumming, her passion for it grew after participating...

Chris is a versatile musician and performing artist specializing in Jazz, Funk, and West African percussion and woodwinds. His practice is rooted in a deep...