Manimou Camara
Artistic Co-Director, Co-Producer, Performer
Master drummer, and educator

A master drummer, performer, and educator from Guinea, West Africa. His lifelong passion for music began in childhood, inspired by his mother’s traditional songs from the forest region. He began formal djembe training at age 12 under Sekou Deco Sylla and quickly rose through the ranks, continuing his studies with renowned artists including Karamoko Daman. He also performed with leading groups such as Ballet Saamato and Merveille de Guinée.

A highly accomplished musician, Manimou has performed and taught internationally, recorded with master artists, and earned top honors at Guinea’s prestigious National Festival of Percussion and Dance. His unique teaching style blends traditional West African methods with insights from his formal education, helping students deeply understand the connection between rhythm, culture, and movement.

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Lorena Toyos
Creative Lead, Artistic Co-Director, Co-Producer, Performer

Lorena Toyos is an interdisciplinary artist, creative director, and producer whose work bridges performance, photography, film, public art, and cultural storytelling. Through collaborative and socially engaged artistic practice, she explores migration, memory, identity, and cultural exchange, creating immersive works that connect communities across borders.

Her artistic practice transforms social and cultural narratives into multidisciplinary experiences that combine movement, visual storytelling, and community participation. Drawing from years of work in photography, filmmaking, curatorial practice, and live performance, she creates projects that invite audiences to reflect on shared histories while imagining new possibilities for connection and belonging.

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Tania Nambo-Escobar
Artistic Co-Director, Co-Producer, Performer

Seattle-based artist whose circus journey began in 2013, when she took her first class at a flying trapeze tent in Georgetown, sparking a lasting interest in circus arts. Since then, she has continued to study a range of disciplines, including corde lisse, duo aerial, and pole, while expanding her movement practice through dance.

Her dance training centers on African diasporic dance forms, including street and club styles and West African dances. She has studied street styles with dani tirrell and African diasporic dance with Etienne Cakpo, Daniel Santos, and Manimou Camara. Through her practice, Tania has performed in both dance and circus arts, exploring the intersections of these movement forms.

In addition to her artistic practice, Tania teaches circus to people of all ages. As an educator, she aims to equip students with skills they can develop and master, fostering greater autonomy and confidence in their own creative pursuits. Her background in American Ethnic Studies informs her work through an intersectional lens, grounding her approach to movement, education, and artistic expression in an awareness of the cultural and social contexts that shape them.

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Deise Costa
Dance artist, choreographer and cultural educator

A Brazilian dance artist, choreographer, and cultural educator from Piauí with over 15 years of experience performing and teaching in Brazil and the United States. Deeply rooted in Afro-Brazilian traditions, she is a passionate advocate for preserving and sharing Brazil’s cultural heritage.

She is a student of Rosangela Silvestre and has completed multiple intensive dance residencies in Salvador, Bahia through the Associação Cultural Silvestre Technique. Her training includes mentorship from leading Afro-Brazilian artists and extensive study in both contemporary and traditional forms. She has taught at institutions including Casa SoMovimento and the Ballet Folclórico do Piauí.

Deise has performed in Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival multiple times with samba schools, embodying the passista tradition, and continues to train extensively through samba congresses and mentorship programs. Her work bridges stage performance, community education, and living Afro-Brazilian cultural practice.

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Facinet Sylla
Percussionist and acrobat

Dynamic circus performance artist-aerialist and percussionist from Conakry, Guinea.

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Fode Sylla
Drummer, acrobat, choreographer, and performance artist

A dynamic drummer, dancer, acrobat, choreographer, and performance artist from Conakry, Guinea. Recognized for his exceptional talent, he was recruited in 2007 to perform with the renowned UniverSoul Circus, captivating audiences across the United States and internationally with his acrobatic, aerial, and dance performances. He later joined Cavalia Odysseo, performing throughout North America.

Fodé shares his passion for traditional West African arts through teaching and performance, offering classes in drumming, dance, and acrobatics for students of all ages and skill levels. A master drummer and beloved educator, he has taught and performed extensively across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Guinea. Known for his energy, artistry, and commitment to community, Fodé inspires students to embrace their authentic selves while carrying forward the spirit of Wontanara—“we are together."

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Hannah Tiên
Dancer

Hannah Tiên (she/her) is a multidisciplinary dance artist, performer, and educator whose

practice bridges African diasporic, Southeast Asian, and Western concert dance traditions.

She holds a BA in Dance from the University of Colorado Boulder, and has studied and

worked with internationally recognized artists including Rosangela Silvestre, Rennie Harris,

Vera Passos, and Donna Mejia.

Her movement practice encompasses Capoeira Angola, Afro-Brazilian and West African

dance, Balinese dance, classical ballet, and modern dance, alongside a deep appreciation for

and engagement with street dance cultures. Her performance experience spans concert

dance, cultural productions, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Informed by her multiethnic identity and an ongoing exploration of cultural embodiment,

Hannah's artistic expression explores spirituality, cultural memory, storytelling, and the

transformative potential of movement as a medium for connection and healing. A recipient

of a 2023 4Culture Art Projects award, she continues to develop her artistic voice through

performance, choreography, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Karim Camara
Percussionist

Guinean visual artist, musician, and percussionist whose multidisciplinary practice bridges visual arts and traditional West African music, celebrating cultural heritage through artistic expression.

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Alnuu
Dancer, choreographer and educator

ALNUU, born Kokou Al’nuzan Gbakénou, is a Togolese dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, videographer

and music producer based in the United States. His career spans traditional and contemporary African dance

across Togo, Senegal, Benin, France, Belgium, Germany and the United States.

He worked with Harold George’s Dunia Dance Theater in Belgium in 2005, then with Steptext Dance Project,

Helge Letonja and Opiyo Okach in Germany in 2012–2013. He spent fourteen months across three residencies

at Germaine Acogny’s École des Sables in Senegal, studying traditional and contemporary African dance.

From 2006, he collaborated with the French Cultural Center of Lomé and the Goethe Institute. He taught

dance for six years at the Lycée Français de Lomé and one year at École Arc-en-Ciel, and led workshops at the

British School and the University of Lomé. In 2010, after his first visit to Senegal, he began developing Magan,

an original movement technique combining the elements of water, earth, fire and air with martial arts,

contemporary Pan-African movement and Togolese traditional dance.

In 2012, he led the association Circuit Cinéma et Arts Vivants and participated in the Francophonie Festival in

Lyon, France. In December 2013, he joined Gansango Music and Dance, led by Etienne Codjo Cakpo, in Seattle.

His work included Dance This Festival in July 2014, Seattle Theatre Group’s Global Party programs and the OMI

International Dance Residency in Ghent, New York, in August 2014. His Seattle collaborations included Velocity

Studio, Guinean dance companies, Anokye Agofomma Music & Dance Company with master drummer Yaw

Amponsah, Dance with Dora and Bahia Motion.

Alongside dance, ALNUU pursues videography and music production through his label, Alnuzan Production. He

released his first single, “Be Real,” recorded in Seattle, in 2021. His signature musical style, AfroVybes, blends

Pan-African rhythms with diverse influences. In 2026, he released his debut album, MA FRANÇAFRIQUE.

Through the support of Priyanka Signature Couture, the organizer of Femina USA, ALNUU and Sonia Keshwani

had the opportunity to present their original song celebrating women’s talent and diversity at the event’s 2026

edition.

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Mamady Conde
Percussionist, dancer and acrobat

A Malinké musician from Kankan, Guinea. He started playing percussion at age seven as a self-taught musician and later studied with master drumer Boca Kouyaté, further developing his skills in traditional Guinean music.

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Naby Camara
Master balafonist

A master balafonist from Kantely, Guinea, born into a griot family of musicians and storytellers. Immersed in traditional music from an early age, he began learning balafon at age seven under the guidance of his older brother, Lanassy Camara. He started performing in traditional celebrations in 1970 and later became the official balafonist for the Fédéral troupe of Conakry. In 1980, he was recruited as a solo balafonist for the renowned Les Ballets Africains de Guinée, where he continued to share his artistry and uphold Guinea’s rich musical heritage.

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 Niya Cakpo
Dancer

Niyafath originates from Benin and has lived in Seattle since 2009. She performs and studies hip-hop, Brazilian and African dance and is a veteran DanceTHIS performer with Seattle Theatre Group. She has been working with Gansango, her father’s company, since 2012. She specializes in urban African style hip-hop seen in popular music videos by young African musical artists.

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 Valentina "The Valent Dancer"
Dancer

Colombian dancer, choreographer, director, and teaching artist dedicated to celebrating culture through movement. Founder and Director of Mestizos Dance Group Seattle and co-founder of Mestizos Dance Group PDX, she creates performances that honor Colombian and Latin American traditions while building bridges across diverse communities. Trained in Colombian folklore, Latin dance, and Hip Hop, Valentina combines choreography, education, and community engagement to create meaningful artistic experiences. She has led ensembles of more than 50 dancers and volunteers, represented Colombia in Seattle's Fremont Solstice Parade, and continues to share her heritage through performances, workshops, and cultural programming. Her work is grounded in the belief that dance is a powerful language for preserving tradition, fostering belonging, and connecting people across cultures.
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