Sixth Annual Abene African Dance Festival August 19-23, 2009

The Interactive Arts Collective, in collaboration with the Arts Council of Windham County, is proud to announce the Sixth Annual Abene African Dance Festival. Caro Diallo, choreographer and lead dancer of the West African dance troupe, Black Soofa, will teach African dance classes for all levels from August 19-23 at The Church on Main Street in Brattleboro.

Traditional drumming classes will also be offered for all levels Saturday and Sunday August 22 and 23. Learn Djembe, Kutiro, and Sabar techniques and rhythms from Ibrahima Thiokho Diagne, a master drum teacher from Dakar, Senegal residing in Burlington, VT who has toured nationally with Angelique Kidjo. Baba N'dao, Nick Gangel and guests will join Thiokho in drumming for Caro for the week.

Diallo, who grew up dancing in Senegal, has performed and taught throughout West Africa, the United States, and Europe, including Switzerland, where he resides part of the year. Throughout the festival week, the famed master will be teaching eight African Dance classes for beginners and advanced dancers alike! Those who would like to simply watch him teach the classes are welcome to do so without charge, though donations are welcome to assist in financing the festival. It is a rare opportunity to witness Diallo’s skill, style and grace; he has the gift of inspiring his students and captivating them with the energy, finesse, and elegance of his dancing. Dancers and spectators from all over the northeast region have enthusiastically attended the festival every year since its birth in 2004.

“Abene,” in the festival title, means “place where good will be encountered” and is the name of a village in southern Senegal, West Africa, where Diallo hosts an annual dance camp. Diallo loves the Brattleboro area and enjoys returning every year to reunite with the community here. It is part of a cultural exchange due to the fact that many area dancers and drummers have attended his camp in Senegal over the years. This is how the festival originated.

A highlight of the week will be the much-awaited performance by Diallo and a host of other professional drummers and dancers at 8:30 on Saturday evening August 22 at The Church, on the corner of Main and Grove Streets.

The festival will also feature delicious Malian cuisine at 1:00pmon Friday, 7:00pm on Saturday and 6:00pm on Sunday, freshly prepared by the area’s own Dieneba Macalou, popularly known at the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market. Additional vendors will also be on site throughout the week.

Please join us in celebrating the culture and history of West Africa! For more information on Caro Diallo please visit www.carodiallo.com or find him on facebook and for a complete festival schedule and fees: www.geocities.com/AfricanDanceVT

Schedule is as follows:

ALL EVENTS take place at the Stone Church in Brattleboro

Wednesday and Thursday August 19 and 20:

6pm-8pm each day.

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Friday- Sunday August 21-23

Friday: 10:30am- 12:30pm and 6:00-8:00pm.

Malian Lunch at 1:00pm.

Saturday: 10:30am- 12:30pm and 4:00pm- 6:00pm.

Drum Class: 1:30-3:00pm.

Malian Dinner at 7:00pm

**Special Saturday evening performance at 8:30pm at The Stone Church!**

Sunday: 10:30am- 12:30pm and 4:00pm-6:00pm.

Drum Class: 1:30- 3:00pm.

Malian Dinner at 6:00pm.



Registration fees:

Entire week dance (8 classes) $115

Six-Pack of dance classes $90

Four- Pack of dance classes $60

Single dance class $16

Single drum classes $16

Saturday performance $10

Dinner $12


For more information call Naomi at 802-258-6475 or Jan at 802-251-0509.


The Church is located on the corner of Main Street and Grove Street in

Brattleboro, just next to the Post Office.


The Abene Festival has been made possible with the generous help from: The

Brattleboro Retreat, The Windham Foundation, Community House Inc., Brattleboro Savings & Loan, Friends of the Sun, Spartan Copies and The Brattleboro Food Co-op.

Please pass this along to anyone that you think will be interested