“If we are in Africa and doing concerts with all African dancers and drummers, that is fine,” said Diadie Bathily, founder and artistic director of the Afriky Lolo dance troupe.
“But we are not in Africa, and we want to motivate people and let them know that they can do it.”
Diversity is the primary source of motivation for Bathily, a native of the Ivory Coast. He welcomes, even encourages, the idea of creating a melting pot of performers in his company. Young, old, black, white: All are Afriky Lolo.
The troupe will present The Goddess Zaouli, its 5th annual concert, next weekend (March 14- 15) at COCA. For the past two years, the annual presentation of African dance and culture has been performed to sold out crowds.
In the 2008 presentation, Bathily uses movement and drumming to adapt a familiar folktale. The Goddess Zaouli is drawn from local folklore in Bathily’s West African homeland of the Ivory Coast. The tale follows a young woman as she suffers through the growing pains of life and love. While her challenges and disappointments are heart-wrenching, the story reveals a message of peace, forgiveness and compassion.
“This story shows that you can educate one person,” Bathily said. “Sometimes, you don’t get the result you desire. But you have to say, ‘What is the next step?’ And that is understanding.”
Bathily is excited to bring a story from home to the COCA stage for the first time. He even traveled back home in December to collect costumes and props to enliven the show.
Authenticity from the Ivory Coast meets the diversity of St. Louis.
Bathily said, “We have a wonderful mix of Africans and African-American drummers and dancers.”
He is excited about the diversity within the company and is eager to share his concept of cultural unity. Afriky Lolo has booked The Goddess Zaouli in Dallas. Guests from Ivory Coast, Texas and Philadelphia will join next weekend’s performance.
Bathily said he looks forward to the audience watching “Africans and Americans sharing the stage and being confused as far as who is American and who is African.”
Bathily has a passion for bridging the cultural disconnect between Africans and Americans (African Americans, in particular).
“My organization is trying to educate people about African culture and also bring them to African dance as an exercise and as a therapy,” Bathily said.
“They are learning the culture and saying ‘Oh my god, I love doing this!’ And that love and trust open a lot of doors to the community and to the children.”
Through Afriky Lolo, Bathily wants to redirect the destructive energy that he feels is imposed upon the community, especially its young people.
Bathily said, “It’s wonderful to see African Americans say, ‘I don’t have to be African to get to that level of intensity and get the spirit of the dance.’”
The Goddess Zaouli, Afriky Lolo’s 5th Annual African Dance Celebration, will be performed Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15 at COCA (524 Trinity Ave in U. City). Tickets are $20 and are available by calling 314-725-1834 ext. 124 or visiting www.cocastl.org. For more information about the Afriky Lolo company, visit www.afrikylolo.com.
