$20

Bessie Award Winner Daaimah Taalib-Din and Darian Parker are teaming up once again for a special two-hour West African dance workshop, accompanied by some of the world's most talented percussionists!  Based in traditional rhythms from the Ancient Empire of Mali, the class focuses on technique, musicality and choreography. Class begins with a thorough warm-up set to live music and proceeds to a brief explanation of the dance styles that will be taught. The class then continues with taking movement across the floor, again set to live instrumentation. In this section, which is the majority of the class, progression lines are divided according to level –beginner, intermediate and advanced –so that everyone is challenged, yet has movement sequences appropriate to their experience. Whether you have never taken a West African dance class before, or you are a professional dance artist seeking to train, this workshop is designed to elevate your craft and feed your soul.

DaaimahTaalib-Din’s personal and spiritual relationship to her artistry has made her a most sought-after performer, teacher and choreographer in the United States and abroad. Her gifts have earned her the distinction of being the first person to win a Bessie Award (the 2017 award for Best Performer) for African-based dance. Her music video credits include Black Coffee’s “Come with Me,” in which she was the lead choreographer; Styles P’s “Never Fight an African,” in which she performed her own solo choreography. She also filmed for the Hollywood production “Step-Up 3D.” Daaimah is best known for her work in live dance and musical theater, having performed at internationally renowned venues as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Apollo Theater, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Harlem Stage/Aaron Davis Hall and Black Dance USA. http://www.daaimahtaalibdin.com/ 

Darian Marcel Parker, PhD is a choreographer specializing in Guinean and Malian dance. His work has received support from the Jerome Foundation, Harlem Stage and New Haven Arts Council. As a dance teacher/professor, he currently serves on the faculties of Cumbe, Sarah Lawrence College and New School for Social Research. He has also completed residencies at institutions such as SUNY Purchase. His performance credits include “Step Up 3D,” the G’Bassikolo Mexican tour and the Fats Waller National Tour. In addition to dance, Dr. Parker is an educator. He is the founder and CEO of Parker Academics, a Manhattan-based test prep and tutoring company (www.parkeracademics.com), and is an anthropology professor at NYU’s School of Professional Studies. He is also the author of two works of anthropology and educational philosophy. Dr. Parker holds a PhD, M. Phil and an MA from Yale University, as well as two bachelor’s degrees from UCLA’s College of Honors.