Assane Konte, a national of Senegal, West Africa, is one of the original founders of KanKouran West African Dance Company. He also serves as the company’s Artistic Director, choreographer, and costume designer. Mr. Konte began his dance training at age 12 and has studied with many prominent traditional dancers and musicians from Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, and Senegal.
His career as a professional dancer began at age 15 with “Ballet Africaine de Diebel Guee” of Dakar, Senegal. During his ten years with the company, he electrified audiences with his highly energetic performances, while simultaneously developing his own unique movement style. In 1978, following a tour in Cote d’Ivoire where he worked and performed as a guest consultant for a locally-based dance company, Mr. Konte came to the United States to pursue a career as an independent performer. He worked with numerous organizations as a musical arranger and guest choreographer.
Mr. Konte left Africa with the dream of establishing his own dance company in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital. Thus, in 1983, along with his childhood friend and master drummer, Abdou Kounta, he founded KanKouran West African Dance Company. Mr. Konte assumed the responsibilities of Artistic Director of the company.
Abdou Kounta, aka “Kounta Balamore,” a national of Senegal, West Africa, is also one of the original founders of KanKouran West African Dance Company. Abdou had a gift for drumming from an early age, although he was not from a griot family. He started drumming under the tutelage of the legendary djembe master Dugufana around the age of 13. As he grew older, he drummed with many different companies in Senegal and became very well-known for his talent and impressive skills. He began traveling extensively when he joined the National Ballet of Senegal. Every time Assane would go back to Senegal, he would look for his childhood friend, but Abdou was always traveling with the Ballet. After a tour with the National Ballet to the U.S., Abdou returned to Senegal and decided he wanted to move to the U.S. and work with some of the people he met during the Ballet’s tour.
In 1977, Abdou came to Washington, DC., and stayed with Aidou Holmes, a local drummer. Abdou began teaching and drumming with Melvin Deal and African Heritage. Eventually, Aidou started a dance company, Wo’se, and Abdou began drumming and teaching with them as well. Abdou laid the foundation for playing the djembe in the Washington, DC area. He taught countless students, while also performing with African Heritage, Wo’se, Koumpo, and several other dance companies. Once Abdou assumed the responsibilities of Musical Director for KanKouran in 1983, he performed exclusively with the company until his retirement in 1989. Abdou has a long lineage of drummers in Washington, DC who learned under him and are well known for their ability to play “language” on the djembe that sets them apart from their contemporaries.
The Company’s success is perhaps best judged by its longevity and by the large number of company and community members who are involved in diverse academic, professional, and entrepreneurial pursuits, and who credit KanKouran with instilling within them the discipline, pride, and commitment to self and community which have made their life pursuits meaningful as well as successful.
