Explore the rich cultural heritage and legacy of the Mali Empire through traditional dance of the Mande people. Souleymane “Solo” Sana’s authentic teaching blends precision with cultural depth, creating an enriching and transformative experience set to the electrifying energy of a live djembe orchestra.

What You Can Expect

• Expert and Authentic Instruction: Experience traditional Mande dance from an internationally acclaimed artist celebrated for his artistic expertise, and deep cultural roots.

• Live Drumming: Move to the powerful, driving energy of live musicians.

• Cultural Immersion: Connect with the deep history and stories of Mali through movement.

About Souleymane “Solo” Sana

Solo is a celebrated choreographer, performer, educator and cultural preservationist from Bamako, Mali. As a premier expert in Mande dance, he serves as a global ambassador for West African culture. A former principal dancer for Ballet Du District de Bamako, Solo has performed alongside acclaimed artists like Djeneba Seck and Oumou Sangare, showcasing the rich traditions of Mali on global stages. Highly sought after worldwide, he also teaches Broadway performers, university students, and at West African dance conferences. He is a core choreographer for Lannaya Drum & Dance, founder of the Kono Gnaga cultural preservation NGO, and Artistic Director of Sira Koro. Solo connects people to Mali’s vibrant history through authentic dance.

FREE Kids/Community Class Details:

* 9 - 9:45 am, FREE Kids/Community class. Explore the vibrant dances of Mali through movement and songs. Perfect for families!

Important Details:

• Please request a ticket for each person in your party who will be participating in the FREE Kids/Community class, so we can plan accordingly.

• Youth must have a parent or guardian on-site.

Solo Sana’s Second Workshop Details:

* 11:45 am - 1:15 pm, West African Dance - Dances of Mali. Solo's afternoon class is ticketed and open to all levels, offering a unique opportunity to explore traditional Mande dance. This workshop is especially beneficial for intermediate and advanced dancers looking to deepen their practice and refine their skills.

Dive into the vibrant world of Guinean dance in this exciting workshop led by teacher Mami Sayon Camara. Set to the rhythm of live drumming, explore the athletic, intricate movements and polyrhythms that define Guinean dance. Open to all skill levels, this is your chance to connect with the rich cultural heritage of West Africa.

What to Expect

• Authentic Instruction: Learn traditional Guinean dance, specifically dances from Mami’s Baga family lineage.

• Live Drumming: Workshops are taught to live drumming! Move to the powerful, driving energy of live musicians.

• Cultural Connection: Immerse yourself in the history and artistry of Guinea through powerful, rhythmic movement.

• Accessible for All: Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dancer, this workshop welcomes you.

About Mami Sayon Camara

Mami Sayon Camara, originally from Conakry, Guinea, is a highly accomplished dance artist with decades of experience in traditional Guinean dance and rhythms. Performing professionally since age ten, she is celebrated for her mastery of this dynamic and culturally rich West African art form. As Dance Director for Lannaya Drum & Dance, Mami choreographs vibrant works and trains company members. She also leads weekly all-levels classes at Tapestry Dance in Austin, TX. Her unparalleled expertise as a performer and musician allows her to teach intricate Guinean rhythms with authentic precision, creating an enriching experience for dancers of all skill levels.

From the artist: “This movement class will explore Hip-Mancipation and erotic performance in CaribFunk Technique. CaribFunk is “A fusion dance technology that incorporates traditional and social Afro-Caribbean, modern, classical ballet, and fitness elements that identifies the body as site of knowledge, illuminating the transformative performances of the pelvis (hip wine) as experienced in the Caribbean cultural performances inclusive of but not limited to Bahamian Junkanoo, Jamaican Dancehall, and Trinidadian Carnival. I coined the term Hip-Mancipation and constructed a more nuanced definition of erotic performance which examines ten dimensions to discuss how these performances demonstrate the complex human experiences that women have while performing or experiencing the music being performed through them.”

What You Can Expect

• Expert Facilitation: Learn directly from A’Keitha Carey, the creator of CaribFunk and an award-winning Bahamian dance educator.

• Full-Body Movement: Train in a rigorous blend of traditional Afro-Caribbean techniques, modern dance, classical ballet, and fitness elements.

• Empowered Exploration: Delve into Hip-Mancipation and the nuances of erotic performance, using the pelvis (hip wine) as a central focus for movement and self-understanding.

• Cultural Connection: Immerse yourself in the rhythms and theatricality of Bahamian Junkanoo, Jamaican Dancehall, and Trinidadian Carnival, examining the lived experiences of women in these vibrant traditions.

About A’Keitha Carey

Global Dance Education Strategist. A’Keitha Carey is a Bahamian dance educator, performance artist, choreographer, and scholar. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Florida International University (FIU), alongside an M.F.A. in Dance from Florida State University. Currently, she is completing her Ph.D. dissertation in Global Socio-Cultural Studies at FIU. A dedicated instructor, A’Keitha has taught in K-12, undergraduate, and graduate programs, serving as an Adjunct Professor at numerous Florida universities. She also performs with Miami's Olujimi Dance Theatre. As a pioneering researcher, she developed and published widely on CaribFunk, an original dance technique fusing Afro-Caribbean, ballet, modern, and fitness principles. Her current dissertation, Hip-Mancipation: Erotic Performance and Black Female Subjectivity in Jamaican Dancehall, investigates the (embodied) experiences of Black women in Jamaican Dancehall and how they define or code their erotic performance, contributing to broader conversations in dance and performance studies about respectability in post-colonial Jamaica and other Caribbean countries that are rooted in gendered and sexual identities in terms of appropriateness. 

Olujimi Fundamental is a dance form that focuses on celebratory, heightened, authentic and intuitive movements, gestures and shapes of the body. The form centers the development and progression of a healthy, physical and diversified dancer. The primary focus connects the muscularity, skeletal, coordination and ancestral movement memory that exists within embodied movement forms.

What You Can Expect

• Olujimi focuses on strong body alignment, strength, flexibility, musicality, dynamics, effort, heightened sense of movement, authenticity, intuition, and breath.

• Class will include movement forms of the African Diaspora, African American Social dance, Improvisation, and joy!

About Michelle Grant-Murray

Michelle Grant-Murray, a Georgia Peach, Texas Honeysuckle, and hybrid Florida Mango, is an independent choreographer, performer and Artistic Director of Olujimi Dance Theatre. Her career has been impacted by her studies at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Clark Center, Jacob’s Pillow and influenced by notable artist and scholars such as Dr. L’Antoinette Stine, Reginald Yates, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Carole Boyce-Davies, Donald McKayle, Michael Vernon, Rennie Harris, Nora Chipaumire and the legendary Miss Katherine Dunham. Michelle holds a BS degree in Dance Education from Jacksonville University, MA degree in African Studies with a concentration in Pedagogy and Cultural Studies from Florida International University and MFA degree in Choreography from Jacksonville University. 

Michelle, Artistic Director of Olujimi Dance Collective, has performed and presented work across Europe, Asia, South America, the United States, and the Caribbean. Her work has been featured at the Smithsonian Institute, Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute, Perez Art Museum, Norton Museum, and the Moving Body Moving Image Film Festival. She conducts workshops, master classes, and residencies at universities and dance institutions worldwide. Currently, she is an Artist-in-Residence with Live Arts Miami, Deering Estates, and Miami Light Project, where she is developing “RoseWater,” a piece exploring environmental racism, water ethics, and land gentrification. Michelle is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Dance at Miami Dade College, where she directs the Jubilation Dance Ensemble. She founded The Black Artist Talk, a platform for discussing the creative process and politics of Black artists, and the annual Artistry In Rhythm (A.I.R.) Dance Conference. As a writer, scholar, and choreographer, she authored Beyond the Surface: An Inclusive American Dance History and developed Olujimi Dance Technique, blending contemporary and African Diaspora dance forms. Her choreographic process, Ancestral Dance Movement Memory (ADMM), explores spirituality and the intuitive wisdom of the body. Michelle’s research focuses on Eco-feminism, Ecology, and Sustainability within the Black Female Body, championing the voice of Black female artists.

This workshop explores how dance in the Caribbean emerged from sacred and communal rituals brought by African ancestors and reshaped through local traditions. Focusing on Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba, participants will experience how rhythm, movement, and spiritual intention intersect in ceremonial practices. Through guided movement and cultural context, we examine how dance functions not only as performance but also as a form of prayer, healing, and connection with the spirit world.

What You Can Expect

• Ancestral Roots: Trace the origins of Caribbean dance directly back to traditional African rituals and communal practices.

• Regional Focus: Explore the unique ceremonial movements and distinct rhythms of Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba.

• Spiritual Connection: Experience firsthand how rhythm, physical movement, and spiritual intention unite in sacred spaces.

About Dr. Yanique Hume

Priestess | Dancer | Scholar. “I move at the crossroads — where ritual meets research, and the body remembers what history tried to forget. Born of Caribbean soil and ocean memory, my work lives in dance, divination, and decolonial dreaming. As a scholar and choreographer, I craft sacred performance as healing, as resistance, as ancestral echo. My practice is prayer in motion. My calling is to remember, reimagine, and reclaim.” Dr. Yanique Hume is a visionary artist and academic whose work bridges the realms of ritual, performance, and cultural heritage. With deep roots in the Caribbean, she brings a highly unique perspective to the intersection of spirituality, movement, and decolonial thought.