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...

Victoria Jara was born in Miami, Florida to Peruvian and Chilean parents. Her story begins as a kid who was “ni de aqui, ni...

E’ja’s Training: Dallas Black Dance Academy, January 2018 – May 2020 ● Junior Performing Ensemble ● Senior Performing Ensemble Education University of Texas at...

Jamie Vallejo is a native of Houston, TX and has been studying various styles of dance for 25 years. Growing up as a competitive performer,...

Kaitlyn Jolly was born in Boston, Massachusetts and is a lover and lifelong student of dance. She’s studied Capoeira Angola, samba and other Afro-Brazilian...

Illinois native, Hope Folarin, was formally introduced to dance in adolescence when her mother forced her to take ballet lessons to improve her posture....

Aboubacar ‘Abou’ Sylla. Renowned West African music/dance performer, teacher, and traditional instrument builder. Performer for 20+ years, teaching West African drum/dance culture globally, including...

Brandon Grant first started learning West African drumming in late 2009 at Youth Villages campus in Douglasville, Georgia. Under the tutelage of Youth Villages...

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

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

Also hailing from Conakry, Guinea, Mohamed is the nephew of our Company Teacher, Abou Sylla. Mohamed is wonderfully skilled on djembe, dununs, and sangban;...

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...