leadership & admin team
Artistic Director
joti singh
Joti Singh is a dance creator and innovator, sprung from the U.S. American south to parents from northern India. She is the Co- Artistic Director of Duniya Dance and Drum Company. Joti began her dance training in Punjabi circles, carrying through her body the culture that’s in her blood and memory. As an adult, West African dance entered Joti’s purview, transforming her body’s imagination.
Artistic Director
alpha oumar 'bongo' sidibe
Bongo Sidibe is a musician from Guinea, West Africa and moved to the Bay Area from Guinea in 2008. He studied drumming from master djembe player Mamady Keita beginning at age 9 and is a culture bearer preserving the rich musical traditions of West Africa. Bongo believes in the power of music to unite people and create a more inclusive world.
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West African Choreographer
Alhassane
"papin"
da camara
Alhassane was born in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa. His mother, Dah Camara, was a dancer. Alhassane has been blessed with the same innate talent. He followed this calling, and by 11 years of age, he was fully immersed in Ballet Tayely in Guinea, studying, and performing traditional Guinea dances. Alhassane continued to excel, not only as a dancer, but as a fully trained musician, knowing all of the musical rhythms of the drums and accompanying instruments of the traditional Guinea dances. He proceeded to become the lead dancer and choreographer of his ballet company.
Bhangra & Bollywood Choreographer
Riddhi kapoor
Dancing makes me the ‘happiest’. My motivation to learn dance started at the age of three. My mother’s need to instill a sense of hobby in me led me to embrace dancing as a creative form to express my emotions. Dancing is the greatest connect one can have with the self and it gives me the adrenalin to learn, perform and grow every day. I have been teaching Bollywood dance in the Bay Area for more than four years and to me dance is a way of celebration, frolic and happiness!!
Apart from dancing, I love making earrings and am a complete foodie!
Originally from Bangalore (India) and been in the bay area for over 5 years now.
Managing Director
kimi harvey-smith
Kimi is a southern belle, lover of dance and theater arts and cultural ambassador of West African dance. Kimi studied Linguistics, Sociology and Dance Production at UC Berkeley. Then founded Alkimi Stage Management and co- founded Saa Saa Sistas Productions Collective to train BIPOC folx in stage management, dramaturgy, lighting design, program management and festival production.
CONTACT: ManagingDirector@duniyadance.com
Marketing Manager
kenta despe
Kenta is a digital marketer, he assists with leveraging social media, content creation, and audience targeting. He successfully funded his own Cat-related Kickstarter campaign, utilizing Facebook and Instagram Ads.
CONTACT: kenta@duniyadance.com