Lacina Coulibaly
Burkina Faso/US
Artist-in-Residence
Projects include: Entangling, Listen

Lacina Coulibaly was born in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. His dance career, deeply rooted in traditional African dances, later merged with contemporary influences to create a uniquely African choreographic expression. In 1995, Lacina created the Cie Kongo Bâ Teria with Souleymane Badolo and Ousseni Sako. Their creations toured internationally, including being a part of the Movement (R)Evolution tour which toured throughout the US. They were also featured in the documentary film Movement (R)Evolution Africa (2007). Lacina’s choreography often provokes questions of the (dis)integration of the traditional and the contemporary. Lacina has taught and been an artist-in-residence at universities in US including Brown University, Yale University, University of Florida, Cornell University, and UCLA. He has acted as assistant choreographer with Nora Chipuamire for her work with Urban Bush Women. He is founder/director of the company Hakili Sigi.

Marcel Gbeffa
Benin
Projects: (R)evolve, Forest, Conference of the Birds, Run Like a Girl

Marcel Gbeffa is a prolific choreographer and dancer who has worked with many important leaders and innovators in the world of African contemporary and African diaspora dance.  He completed his professional training at the renowned Germaine Acogny’s Ecole des Sables in Senegal.  He has danced with Salia Sanou, Patrick and Germaine Acogny, Andréya Ouamba, Reggie Wilson, Nobert Senou and many others. He has toured in Europe, the US, Brazil and throughout Africa.

As a performer, he has been danced for many internationally known choreographers, most recently: a solo, “Marcel, Here and Now” (Marceline Lartigue), Sueur des Ombres “Sweat of the Shadows” (Andréya Ouamba) and Good Dance (Reggie Wilson / Andréya Ouamba) with which he toured all over the United States. Marcel has worked with choreographers and renowned teachers such as Norbert Senou and Caroline Fabre (France / Benin), Patrick Acogny and Germaine Acogny (Senegal – France) Longafo Eyeoto (Congo), Nora Chipaumir (Zimbabwe – New York) Mantsoe (South Africa); Michelle Broda (France) Sarah Carlson (USA).

Marcel founded the company Multicorps in 2008. His solo Et…Si (2008) was selected for the solo competition “Choreographic Encounters of Africa and the Indian Ocean” in 2010. Other works include Ombre Primitive (2010) and Le Couloir Sombre de l’Amour (2011) and Sans Regard (2011). The latter two works were commissioned by the Foundation Zinsou (Benin) for their “Dansons Maintenant” festival. In late 2011 he created the duet Solitude Blues with choreographer Maria Luisa Angulo (Trias Culture). His duet with Brazilian dancer/choreographer Wagner José de Faria toured Brazil in 2013.

DAKEI
Japan

Project: Delicateness in Times of Brutality

DAKEI is the founder of SHIZUKU, and a director, choreographer, dancer and installation artist. In 2000, he received his Ph.D. from The National Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music (Geidai) in the oil painting department specializing in material studies.

When he was 2 years old, he lost his hearing and grew up Deaf. He started acting in 1996 for the group called National Theater of Deaf. In 1997 he was invited by the butoh dance director Kinya “ZULU” Tsuruyama, to work with his company YAN-SHU. He joined the company and appeared in all of YAN-SHU’s works and traveled around the world to perform and assist workshops.

In 2000, he formed his own company, SHIZUKU, which debuted at the Teatro Pradillo in Madrid, Spain. Since then he has been touring Europe, Asia and Latin America where he performs and teaches workshops.

He also teaches butoh in the Japan College of Social Work for the seminar specializing in teaching in sign language.

He has also recently become involved in film making. He appears in Agnes Trouble (a.k.a. Agnes b.)’s first film “My Nma eis Hmmmm….” (2012) which was shown in the Venice Film Festival in 2013 and is currently showing in film festival’s around the world.  Dakei’s own film, “Listen,” which showcases Deaf Japanese artists and performers, is also currently showing in film festivals and other venues around the world.

S. Seda Guney
Turkey
Projects: Conference of the Birds, Run Like a Girl