This past year, BHS and the Brooklyn Arts Council partnered on an oral history project interviewing local dancers. BAC initiated Folk Feet, a Folk Arts program dedicated to supporting the work of traditional dancers in Brooklyn, in 2003. The goals of Folk Feet were to identify the range of traditional dance practices represented in Brooklyn by individuals, companies, and community and social dance groups; to document these artists and their practices; and to present them to a wider public by way of concerts, showcases and workshops. This is the second in a series of five audio slideshows from that project, stay tuned!
Marie Basse-Wiles came to Brooklyn from Dakar, Senegal. She joined the Ballet National of Senegal at the age of 12 and went on to tour the world with the company. She founded the Maimouna Keita School of African Dance in 1983.
In this excerpt, Marie explains why she chose to name her company after her grandmother and tells us about her first time in the United States when she performed at the Apollo Theater!
Music: “Bara” by Drisa Kone