About the Presenters

Experience Guinea Mission Statement
To provide a safe and inviting setting for travelers to experience an intimate and authentic view of Guinean life, art and culture while living in a supportive community network, connecting deeply with family, opening minds and hearts to new possibilities and transforming lives. Watch your level of artistry rise from studying with talented, professional artists and musicians in the cultural context.

Alseny Yansane, dynamic teacher and fourteen year performing artist with
world renowned Ballets Africains has dazzled audiences across the globe with
his fancy footwork, powerful percussion and heart stopping acrobatics.
Alseny is internationally recognized as a cultural ambassador for his broad
understanding of the dances, rhythms and traditions from each geographical
region of Guinea and has brought new songs and musical arrangements to the
Pacific Northwest.

Alseny is a wonderful teacher and organizer who is energetic, inspiring, fun and well connected. Having embarked upon his artistic career path at a very young age, working and touring with Ballets Africains for over a decade and eventually training two generations of aspiring performance artists has made Alseny very well known and respected. This yields many inside connections from which students will benefit.

Andrea DiPalma has spent close to seven years in Guinea, immersing herself
in the art, culture and way of life. She has trained with many disciplined
and visionary artists, performed in a variety of prestigious venues and
collaborated with Alseny to teach young people wanting to become performance
artists. Because she is fluent in Susu, Guinea’s national language, Andrea
has been able to transcend much of the cultural barrier and gain an
appreciation and understanding of the inner workings of Guinean society,
enabling her to serve as a cultural navigator between the Western world and
Guinean traditions.

"Alseny is an inspiring and beautiful dancer. As a teacher he is encouraging and gently pointed out ways to improve my technique. His sense of humor and patience helped me keep my spirits up even when I was having a challenging time learning. I also greatly benefited from Andrea's mastery of Susu and her insight into Guinean culture and life. Getting our deposit back from a drunk boat driver, hailing a cab with complex hand signals, knowing where to find quality fabric at a good price in a crowded market, explaining that when a Guinean asks you out for a drink, you pay-Andrea knows and handles it all with skill and grace!" Kristine D, Eugene, OR 2004 & 2005