https://www.kolaamdance.org/welcome daily 1.0 2025-04-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534081310325-A0K8PBHMYDNW2QM6V6XC/IMG_8809.jpg Welcome - The Program Kolaam Residency Kolaam Dance will work with American students at St. Francis Xavier School in Wilmette, Illinois over a semester. In conjunction with a Story Elements Unit in Literature, 6th grade students will create a story, which the Kolaam artists will set to West African choreography, drums, and narration. Cross-Cultural Student Connection To maximize this experience for the students, they will virtually connect with students at Ecole Mambouna DIATTA in Thionk Essyl, Senegal. The students at each school will develop relationships by email, and show their story/dance via skype or another communication tool while reflecting and discussing similarities and differences in aspects of each story. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533405608939-LFEN5PUFZRH216HUYWPR/IMG_1039.jpg Welcome - About Senegal is home to a number of ethnic groups who celebrate, mourn, and commune through their individual dances and drumming rhythms. In West Africa, “Learning to play the drums and to dance is like learning to walk and speak,” according Idy Ciss. These art forms are central to the identity of the cultures within the country, and express humanity in the most beautiful, powerful ways. Most Americans have limited exposure to the breadth of experiences in West Africa and the continent of Africa in general. Likewise, many in Senegal have a limited view of who and what make up the United States. Most often, the thought is that everything is better everywhere in the U.S. Like Americans’ assumption that all of Africa is “the bush”, many in Senegal have the notion that our entire country is as it appears on television shows--beauty and wealth everywhere. The STORIES Project key goals are to teach youth about the complexities of the world and to persist in solving problems. This education will be received through exposure to new ways of life and experiences that counter inaccurate cultural assumptions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407369005-62TH9UO2PYJW6TY3TK35/KIM.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533406492088-3HFQ0TVQDI7E7KEPVVVB/IMG_1540.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533406602485-L3D3NDW92F598GU06GK4/IMG_0173.JPG Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1566219231319-2DMO6SJ7ZRRMSWC6712H/Josh+Bio.jpeg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534082530103-QQAMHDNXOG75BA5TDKYV/6.jpg Welcome - Support STORIES We are grateful for your donations that will support the STORIES Project and related programming for Kolaam Dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624604253-7IKLI76S1JMI19407M3C/From+Sekou+Tepakalunda+Conde.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624603246-RZC6FTCW0MMYBSC493XI/From+Kymon+Dyndred10.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624604990-RU2X0NA138L0KVF5A53D/From+Thirdeyelenz+Photography.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624605161-KIH3ZI0SP9QTUZZ56SNL/Heritage+Works.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624603332-A4QPO9BI8FQRW4000VS2/From+Kymon+Kyndred+2.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407563729-T8SYL9647PLGBM2MW7IM/IMG_0973.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534081856746-51V64FEJK8VWPNOO1VTT/Kolaam_still_1.png Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534081861652-Y5J12RBOF2MUU0SOVRM3/Kolaam-still_2.png Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407620435-X0ODXB50YT694O2Z0SCA/IMG_1189.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407621534-OBPF4GUISLHDF9KF5H4R/IMG_1198.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407624131-K62O2MXZIIMHRMQU8Y2N/IMG_1201.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407637786-MS43MX2QRM83B6ZRFBDW/IMG_1265.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407625034-41N1HSFZXCQJU6M9MRTQ/IMG_1039.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624610908-M5VGUOOKKI3MIA8UUSZM/Sabar+at+Hamlin+2018.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407667933-WGRKAGQR7T78WONEPDHQ/5.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407647584-KWQ4GD38G8I3E4385NIW/IMG_1311.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407650884-RU4MLA0OLWOBSX7MK0HB/IMG_1312.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624610414-3KV4E1UPN2SEJQFKTSNI/Idy+Summerdance+2018.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407636602-0RC8C7U4Y599G87T6AV3/IMG_1230.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407656739-AR3WZVT2TY3OSNUQ0Y6T/IMG_8809.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533407662141-0YWSVYAWN775EXZV2YMI/6.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1533509148629-G06PWXG6WAHNKSK3F2NI/IMG_1201.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1532542055916-L5G5EST8KVIX35JC8J7A/IMG-1198.JPG Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b58bb5acc8fed3660c4bd43/1534624604253-7IKLI76S1JMI19407M3C/From+Sekou+Tepakalunda+Conde.jpg Welcome