Midwest Mandeng 2014: September 12-14
Brace yourselves Central Illinois for the first ever Midwest Mandeng--a full weekend of dancing, drumming, partying, shopping, and community building. This year the festival will take place September 12-14 at the historic Urbana Landmark Hotel in the heart of downtown Urbana!
Midwest Mandeng will feature 9 drum workshops and 7 dance workshops led by some of the most talented instructors from Guinea, Senegal and Mali. The classes are "all levels" and will be open to people of all ages, races, sizes, classes and fitness ability. In fact, kids under 13 who are accompanying a paying adult attendee and senior citizens dance for free!
In addition to the workshops, there will also be a demonstration and Q&A session geared towards kids at the Urbana Free Library and a "dundunba" party which is an open dance party with live drumming. And to top it all off we are inviting vendors to participate in our African Marketplace to sell clothes, food, instruments or other small items.
Here is the tentative schedule for Midwest Mandeng 2014! Please note that during the concurrent sessions, the drum classes will be held in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign (UUCUC), which is just two blocks away from the Urbana Landmark Hotel.
Friday, September 12
4:15-5:00: Free demonstration at Urbana Free Library
6:00-7:30: Concurrent sessions: All Levels Guinea Dance with Youssouf Koumbasse & Guinea Djembe with Bolkada Conde (UUCUC)
Saturday, September 13
8:30-10:00-- Concurrent sessions: Intermediate/Advanced Malian dance with Djeneba Sako & Senegalese Djembe with Assane Seck (UUCUC)
10:15-11:45--All Levels Guinea Dance with Youssouf Koumbassa
11:45-1:00-- Lunch break
1-2:30-- All Levels Malian Djembe with Moussa Traore
2:30- 4:00-- All Levels Guinea Dance with Djibril Camara
4:00- 5:30-- All Levels Dundun with Abass Camara
5:45- 7:15-- Concurrent sessions: Beginner Malian dance with Djeneba Sako & Guinean Djembe with Bolokada Conde (UUCUC)
8:00-Midnight-- Performance featuring Afro-pop band Super Mazumzum followed by a dundunba party! (Doors open at 7:15pm)
Sunday, September 14
8:30-10:00-- All Levels Dundun with Abass Camara
10:15-11:45--All Levels Guinea Dance with Djibril Camara
11:45-1:00-- Lunch break
1-2:30-- Malian Djembe with Moussa Traore
2:30- 4:00-- All Levels Malian Dance with Djeneba Sako
4:00- 5:30-- Concurrent sessions: Beginner Guinea dance with Djibril Camara & Guinean Djembe with Bolokada Conde (UUCUC)
5:45- 7:15-- Concurrent sessions: Intermediate/Advanced Guinea Dance with Youssouf Koumbassa & Senegalese Djembe with Assane Seck (UUCUC)
(Schedule last updated here 9/8/14)