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WEST AFRICAN DANCE COMPANY AFRIKY LOLO’S ‘SOLEIL DU COEUR’ EIGHTH ANNUAL CONCERT CELEBRATES RICH ARTISTIC TRADITIONS
ST. LOUIS, February 16, 2011 -- Afriky Lolo, a West African dance company based in St. Louis, will celebrate the rich artistic traditions of the West African nations of Mali, the Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Ghana in three concerts to be performed March 4 and 5. The eighth annual African dance celebration, the company’s largest annual event, will be performed in conjunction with the Music Department of St. Louis Community College-Forest Park at the Mildred Bastian Center for Performing Arts on the campus of St. Louis Community College-Forest Park.
Afriky Lolo, which means ‘African Star,” is led by founder and artistic director Diadie Bathily, a master dancer who immigrated to the United States from the Cote d’Ivoire in 1998. Bathily teaches and performs at area elementary and secondary schools as well as local universities, colleges and dance studios throughout the Midwest, including Washington University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
‘Soleil du Coeur’ blends the best of traditional and modern West African dance with Afro-European-inspired music, showcasing West African dance, Western melodies and African instruments. Performances will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 4 and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. Tickets are $10 for children age 12 and under and $25 for adults. Tickets are available through www.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 314-276-1913, or may be purchased at the door by cash, check or charge.
The mission of the non-profit Afriky Lolo corporation is to “bring African dance to the St. Louis community through teaching and performance so that African Americans and others will gain a rich understanding of African heritage and experience the joy and power of dance.”
Bathily has danced professionally for more than 30 years, performing for Marie-Rose Guiraud’s Les Guirivoires, Adama Drame, Bathily’s own Wara Danse in the Cote d’Ivoire and his Diadie Bathily Dance company in the United States. Afriky Lolo features 75 dancers ranging in age from 8 to over 60 as well as eight drummers.
Afriky Lolo performances are directed, choreographed, staged and costumed by Bathily. “Costuming is a very important aspect of traditional West African dance,” says Bathily, who regularly visits the West Coast of Africa searching for authentic West African cloth, beads and masks for costumes worn by his troupe.
For more information on Afriky Lolo, call 314-644-1639 or visit www.afrikylolo.com.
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