Touring

Known for its high-spirited performances and artistic excellence, Kùlú Mèlé performs West African-based original and traditional communal dances that celebrate life passages, such as birth and marriage, and everyday scenes such as children at play. While all dances are authentically costumed and choreographed, the company infuses traditional dance with contemporary flair.

Kùlú Mèlé was selected for inclusion in the touring roster of Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour (PennPAT) and offers the following:

• Mainstage, festival, and school-based performances.
• Residency, community outreach and audience engagement activities, including workshops, master classes and lecture-demonstrations in African dance and drumming for adults, children and teens.
• Mali Sadjo: The Legend of the Hippopotamus – A tale of love and redemption between a man, a woman and nature, Mali Sadjo is a performance for the whole family. Dynamic choreography, drumming and costumes accentuate this moving folkloric African ballet set in the mythical village of Bafulabe. In 2008, Kùlú Mèlé journeyed to Guinea, West Africa for a two-week immersion to learn Mali Sadjo, and has performed it before sold out audiences. This project is made possible by The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, through Dance Advance. Click here to view the trailer.
  
  Also available: In Search of Mali Sadjo:Kulu Mele’s African Dance Expedition, a full-length documentary that provides an exciting insight into the creative process and cultural journey for learning the ballet

For information about booking the company, email dw@kulumele.org or call 267‑252‑6366.

PennPAT is a program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation that was developed and is funded by the Vira I. Heinz Endowment; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Funding may be available to support performance engagements with presenters in DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV and the US Virgin Islands. For more information, please visit: www.pennpat.org or email info@pennpat.org.