Weekly Community Dance and Drum Classes

KanKouran offers classes for children, teens and adults in the authentic dance and drumming styles of select West African cultural groups. An aerobic activity, dance classes include a warm-up and breakdown of dance steps, followed by choreographed routines accompanied by the drums. Drum classes teach polyrhythmic concepts of African drumming and choreographed orchestral techniques to accompany the dance movements.

Class Format and Floor Etiquette: All class participants are required to sign-in and pay for class before going to the dance floor. With the exception of classes involving Guest Instructors, please note that General Admission for Adults is $15(USD) and $12(USD) for students with proper identification.

Format: Classes are taught by Executive Artistic Director, Assane Konte, Artistic Director, Sue Ann Forde, one of the qualified teaching artists in KanKouran’s Senior Company, or an invited guest artist. The first 30 minutes of class consists of a warmup, followed by a 30 minute breakdown of the steps for the dance being taught. The last 30 minutes involve the execution of the steps across the floor accompanied by live drumming. To avoid injury, we strongly recommend that everyone join us for the warmup portion of class.

Floor Etiquette: Please be mindful of other people on the floor, spacing, and maintaining the lines so that everyone has an enjoyable experience. To decrease confusion and increase time spent dancing, it’s best if you come down the floor with the same line partners each time. At the end of each class, all participants thank the drummers. You will see this being demonstrated by other class participants.

Suggested Attire: In observance of the culture and tradition from which these dances originate, women are asked to wear a comfortable t-shirt, athletic shorts, and a lappa (a traditional African wrap skirt) covering the shorts. Due to the modest nature, and religious connotations of most of the dances being taught, the lappa is worn out of self and cultural respect. Men may wear comfortable, loose-fitting athletic wear that is conducive to low to high impact movements.