Through nurturing the seed of my curiosity for dance and the stories I carry, I discovered a physical practice that explores the social and political implications of my (African / black) body and what that represents for me, particularly as an artist now living in the Bronx. My practice and work is centered around research, such as embodied learning, reading, experiencing various forms of art, and paying attention to what’s happening around the world. I've been in spaces and worked with people who have pushed my thinking and my physicality. A major source of inspiration has been Germaine Acogny. I was first introduced to her at the Ecole des Sables, where I was a student deepening my studies in West African dance forms. There I primarily studied the Acogny Technique, a melange of Germaine Acogny's studies in the traditional forms, with influences from Western dances styles. Inspired by nature, the technique's major focus is on the movements of the spine, energy, rhythm and connecting between the earth and the sky. Improvisation was another element of study. I spent a lot of time developing my movement style and choreographic voice. Later, I became a company member with her all men's Compagnie Jant Bi. I was able to experience being "close to home" in styles, such as Sabar, Djembe and dances from Senegal. I also experienced areas of dance that were out of my comfort zone Europe , USA and we performed:
Théâtre de la ville Paris
104 Paris Theatre
Halle grains Blois France
Theatre Orléans
Festival Avignon Marseille
Grand théâtre Luxembourg
Opéra de Lille
Montclair state university Alexander KasserTheatre USA
Grand théâtre of St Polten Austria
Equarium Bourges France
Brive la Gayart France , with choreographers such as Regine Chopinot, Robyn Orlin, Ido Tadmor, Rosangela Slivestre. After four years with Jant-Bi, I chose to freelance and give more attention to creating my own work. Earlier works like Gainde, tells the story of the emblematic character of the legends and traditions of Senegal, through the embodiment of a lion. The work celebrates the power, courage, energy and soul of Senegal. So I create a piece Ibeu Lo which i choreograph in 2018 in collaboration with the Wallonie Bruxelles organisation, Mons art center,
maison folies wazemmes Lille so we did a tour with 13 artists coming from Senegal , France and Bruxelles and we did 10 representation. After that I was selected as a resident choreographer at OMI art center in Hudson River Gen USA 2018 after this program I decided to go back to my country.
During this time I developed Festival Jamm Gun Ay where Senegalese artists have a platform to share their work. Drawn to choreography, I developed a company, Topdance Company, as a space for me to continue investigating the information held in my body and the world I am navigating daily, as a black man. So I come back to USA to develop different collaboration and teaching guest artist at Connecticut college Hudson River , NYU , Cumbe Dance center , Alvin Ailey and different teaching program and performing arts.
Now I am part of Netta Yerushalmy company member on her latest piece that we’re working on right now.
