West African Dance

Join this weekly energetic dance class accompanied by live drumming! Presented by Afrika95 (a Naimah 1995 performing arts project) this traditional West African class concept teaches a variety of dance styles from Guinea while also finding fun ways to connect with Afro-Diasporan music and dance styles of today. Learn the rhythmic drum patterns of each dance, historical backgrounds, performance dance techniques, and more! Class is a communal, non-judgmental zone, and accommodates all ages and abilities (children under 13 must be accompanied by a present adult).

Ages

All Ages (children under 13 must be accompanied by a grown-up)

About the Instructors

Naimah Sams

Naimah is a creative native to Cincinnati, Ohio. Her disciplines are numerous, affording her a background in illustration, graphic design, clothing design, theatre, and modeling. Her most recent project has been the launching of her fashion-focused art house brand, Naimah 1995. When she was five years old, after seeing a West African dance performance at a local event, she told her mother that she wanted to try it. Shortly after her initial classes with one of the most prominent local West African dance companies in the city, she was invited to join the company. Her skills as a dancer progressed quickly, so that by the age of 10, she was performing with the company's young adults group and assisting with teaching weekly classes. Naimah has been fortunate enough to have traveled to various dance workshops around the country, training with some of the biggest names in the West African dance world. Although there are African dance ballets, the original format of West African dance is very community based, and when Naimah wasn't performing, she was enjoying that communal aspect in dance classes and at afro-centric events. She is excited to be helping to reigniting the fire of African Dance culture in the city of Cincinnati, and to share in its beauty with dance lovers of all backgrounds.