About Kùlú Mèlé

Mission Statement

Inspired by the voices of our ancestors, Kùlú Mèlé African Dance and Drum Ensemble preserves, presents and builds upon the dance and music of Africa and the African Diaspora.

Organizational Background

For more than 40 years, Kùlú Mèlé has been a vital driving force behind the African cultural renaissance in Philadelphia. It is one of the City’s oldest and most well regarded dance companies.

Founded in 1969 by Baba Robert Crowder, Kùlú Mèlé preserves and presents African dance traditions rooted in the cultures and aesthetic values of the African Diaspora. The company has been led by Artistic Director Dorothy Wilkie for more than 20 years. Its repertoire draws upon the music and movement forms of Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana, and the Senegambia region, as well as African-American vernacular traditions. Performances and workshops actively engage audiences and convey the significance of the dances in the societies from which they are derived. For many in the audience, a Kùlú Mèlé performance strengthens the sense of cultural identity; for others, it offers a look at the rich traditions and heritage of Africa.

Kùlú Mèlé has received some of the region's most prestigious awards and competitive grants. The company receives support from the National Endowment on the Arts, a federal agency; Pennsylvania Council on the Arts; Philadelphia Cultural Fund; and the William Penn Foundation. It also has been supported by Dance Advance, the Barra Foundation and the Samuel S. Fels Fund. The company has performed in Philadelphia as part of the Odunde Festival and Dance Boom! and performs regularly at schools, colleges and performing art centers throughout the region.

As a Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour (PennPAT) roster artist, Kùlú Mèlé also tours regionally and nationally, performing at venues ranging from museums to college campuses, performing arts centers and dance festivals. Kùlú Mèlé also has performed internationally at the Folk Life Festival in the Virgin Islands and the XXII Caribbean Festival in Cuba. In addition to these concert performances, Kùlú Mèlé offers classes and workshops in African dance, ranging from single session workshops, master classes and demonstrations to long term residencies. The company’s youth development and arts education program Omo Kùlú Mèlé promotes cultural awareness, personal growth and traditional values.

The Company’s outreach to youth also includes partnerships with the Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures (FACTS) Charter School, the Overbrook School for the Blind, and Men and Women for Human Excellence. Kùlú Mèlé also self-produces performances and workshops each year that are affordable for a broad cross section of the city's residents. Through workshops, classes, demonstrations and performances, Kùlú Mèlé serves more than 25,000 people annually.