embody the rhythm

Together from 6 countries, 3 continents, 18 beating hearts, 1 planet: *NEW MOON ENSEMBLE*
plus SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS
SATURDAY AUGUST 24th at CONGRESS SQUARE!

Don’t miss this special event!
Guinea Style West African Dance & Drumming

*New Moon Ensemble* with guest artists Sayon Camara, Seny Daffe and Theo Martey
August 24th at Congress Square Park! 6:30-8pm

 

 

 

Whether experiencing Sayon as a teacher or performer in classes, workshops, or celebrations, Sayon will take you places in drumming and traditional Guinean music that you didn’t know were possible and will do so with contagious joy.

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Theo is a Songwriter, Recording Artist, Producer, Performer and Teacher. He has taught and performed African drumming, dancing and music in Ghana and internationally. 

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Seny is a versatile musician and plays the djembe, krin, bolon, gogo ma, sangban, balafone, and doundouns. He is also a very talented singer and comedian, and is considered one of the world’s finest doundoun players. SPECIAL GUEST CLASSES WITH SENY, AUGUST 22 in Kittery & 23 in Portland. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS.

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Meet New Moon Ensemble Dancers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Meet New Moon Ensemble Drummers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Moon Ensemble
Guinea Style West African Dance & Drumming 

Master village drummer and performer Namory Keita, from Sangbarela, Guinea and dancer/choreographer Marita Kennedy-Castro from Maine developed the 15 member troupe to help spread the love for traditional music and dances of Guinea, West Africa. The Ensemble includes multi-talented musician Annegret Baier, from Germany, as well as a handful of other skilled musicians and dancers from Marita & Namory’s weekly classes.

THURSDAY August 22nd in Kittery (click here for details)
FRIDAY August 23rd in Portland:
WEST AFRICAN dance class with Seny Daffe
Accompanied by Master Drummer Namory Keita
6-7:30 pm at Portland New Church on 302 Stevens Ave – Portland ME
$16-20 sliding scale – Cash at the door

RECENT WORKSHOPS:
(If you missed the workshop, join weekly classes with Namory by clicking HERE)

Saturday July 27th ~ ADVANCED DRUM WORKSHOP
with NAMORY KEITA

Saturday July 27th
1 – 4:30 PM
$60 online /$70 at the door
Portland New Church, 302 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME
*For Intermediate/Advanced players*
Bring your Djembé or Dounoun playing to another level!
Visit Namorydrum.com for more info or to register

SENY DAFFE RETURNS TO PORTLAND, ME (and beyond) IN MAY!

Guest artist Seny Daffe, alongside Namory Keita and our talented drummers rocked the house in Portland & Kittery last month!

Here’s some of the fun we had singing and dundun dancing with Seny, April 25:

Seny & Namory have a mini-tour together in Maine and New Hampshire, MAY 27th – MAY 31st ~ Catch them for drum, dance, or dundun dance in Bristol, NH or Portland, Kittery, or Camden, ME!

Monday MAY 27 ~ INT/ADV DRUM CLASS with Namory Keita
Wild Root Kombuchery, 135 Washington Ave, Portland, ME | 6:15-7:15pm |
$15/class or $13 per class for punch card of 4
Find and share on facebook HERE

Tuesday MAY 28 ~ SPECIAL DANCE CLASS with Seny Daffe at Embody the Rhythm! 
Portland New Church, 302 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME | 6:00-7:30pm |
$16-20 sliding scale – cash only please
Show support and share on facebook HERE

LINK for CLASS DETAILS  May 29 – May 31
Wednesday MAY 29, Bristol, NH
Thursday MAY 30, Kittery, ME
Friday MAY 31, Camden, ME

THIS JUST IN: Beautiful djembefola (master drummer) Sayon Camara will be visiting Maine next week, and be our special guest drummer in Tuesday Dance Class, May 21st!

 

 

*IMPORTANT* ~ CHANGES/NOTICES
at EMBODY THE RHYTHM:

 

• Dance Class TIME CHANGE: Tuesdays JUNE – AUGUST
  7:00 -8:30pm* | Catch an extra hour of sunshine before coming to dance it out to live drumming!!*If you’ve purchased a 4 or 8 class card and won’t be able to attend during this time change, please talk with Marita or Anne in class, or email me (Marita)*
• SEEKING OUTDOOR LOCATION for Dance
  I’m seeking a flat, open, (non-concrete) available space outside, to hold dance class on some Tuesdays this summer. Have ideas? Please email me.If a Portland location is found, will be posted as *special notice* at top of homepage here, by midday of class. If rain is expected or nothing posted, you’ll find us @ Portland New Church.
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• Our DANCE Class SUPPORTS SOCIAL CHANGE INITIATIVES
  A percentage of proceeds from every class is contributed to important social change initiatives. Please learn about the ones we support in 2019: VISIT THIS PAGE.
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• SUMMER PERFORMANCES ~ SAVE THE DATES
  New Moon Ensemble performs:
  Saturday August 24th ~ Free evening show at Congress Square Park, Portland, ME
  Saturday September 7th ~ at Henry Fest (Folk Music Festival), Falmouth, ME

 

HELP BUILD a LIBRARY for these children in KOUYA SIDIA, GUINEA, WEST AFRICA

 

Our newest dance class drummer, John Marlowe, has created THIS FUNDRAISER to help build a library in the home village of our wonderful teacher, Sayon Camara. 

Please check out this awesome project, and share it with the librarians, book lovers, children and community change-makers in your life!

 

Flowers are blooming, the weather is warming, the air is fresh, the birds are singing…  SO many reasons to dance. See you on the dance floor!