Blogs

​Alseny Yansane teaches Drum & Dance Workshops in Bend-March 1st! African Dance Class 12-1:30 pm Victor School of Performing Arts International Ballet School 2700 Northeast 4th Street #210, Bend, OR 97701 2 African Drum Classes 3:30-5 pm & 5-6:30 pm Both classes in studio in the alleyway behind 155 NW Hawthorne (Enter alleyway from Harriman Street) Drop-Ins Welcome @ $15 per workshop 2 workshops for $28 3 workshops for $26

Shortly after Alseny Yansane's arrival in the US from Guinea in February 2007, we connected with a super sweet man named Dave Visiko who was dedicated to sharing West African drumming and dancing with the community of Bend, Oregon. He invited us to take a weekend away from the Willamette Valley haze to enjoy the spectacular climate of the high desert Cascade Mountains by organizing drum and dance workshops for Alseny.

West African Drum & Dance troupe, "Fefafe" performs Saturday, February 21st at The Opal Center for Arts and Education in Cottage Grove at 8 pm. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 pm.

Fefafe is an authentic, West African performance troupe which presents the traditional culture and sounds of Guinea, West Africa. The name, Fefafe, translates from their Susu language to “Something Good is Coming.”

Are you a drummer who has always wanted to move to the rhythms you love to play, but always felt too shy to take a dance class? Or are you a dancer who has entertained the thought of drumming, but never got around to it? Or have you ever been inspired by the powerful pounding percussion combined with equally passionate dance movements seen is performance pieces from groups like Ballets Africains or Les Amazones de Guinee?

Start the year off right by joining West African Cultural Arts Institute for First Friday @ The Eugene Downtown Library. Enjoy a vibrant dance and high-energy percussion performance to delight and inspires all ages.

Under the artistic direction of Alseny Yansane, fourteen year performing artist with Ballets Africains of Guinea performers Andrea DiPalma Yansane, Papa Yansane, Ayisha Elliott and Christine Walugembe will dance and drum traditional and contemporary pieces that give a taste of the rich cultural arts of Guinea.

On Saturday, December 27th, the very last class of the calendar year, a free lance photographer and journalist from the Register Guard visited Alseny Yansane's All-Levels African Dance class to do a feature on "Things to do in Eugene" on Saturdays."

Now what everyone has been waiting for, an African dance class geared totally toward beginning and emerging dancers!

Beginning African Dance 6 Week Course
Tuesdays, October 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1 and 8
6:15-7:15 pm
Xcape Dance Academy
420 W.12th Ave
Eugene, OR 97401
(Cross street Lawrence in the Knights of Phythias Building)

$50 pre-paid for 6 week course-6 hours of instruction
*Early Bird Discount-$45 Pay by September 26
*Mail checks to WACAI postmarked by September 26!

Hey parents, don't miss this opportunity to get your kids involved in an activity that creatively channels all of that energy while exposing them to the rich and vibrant culture of Guinea! This fall, starting October 1, WACAI will be offering a West African Drum & Dance class for kid ages 9-15 on Saturday mornings from 9:30-10:30 am.

In January 2014 WACAI was awarded a grant from the Lane County Cultural Coalition's Cultural (LCCC) Opportunity Fund to develop a high quality website that will help establish an online presence to increase awareness of our mission and purpose, create awareness of our classes, events and programs and aid in our fundraising endeavors.

Since September 2011 WACAI has been in partnership with the Stepping Stone Program teaching traditional Guinean drumming as a cultural elective for their private school.