Les Ballets Africains

Les Ballets Africains is the national dance company of Guinea and is based in Conakry. It is one of the first African national dance companies. It has toured extensively around the world. Although the name might suggest the idea of European "ballet" to English speakers, the focus of the company is actually to promote traditional African dance and culture.

The roots of the Les Ballets Africains go back to Guinean poetry student, dancer, choreographer and musician Fodéba Keïta. In France in 1948, he founded a poetry group for Africans, which gradually evolved into the drumming, dancing and storytelling African Theater Ballet of Fodeba Keita.

It toured Europe from 1951 to 1955 and the United States in 1953. It became Les Ballets Africains in 1952 in Paris. There was strong opposition at first; various tribes were offended that others were dancing their dances and singing their songs, but gradually that objection was overcome. In the 1950s, among the notable musicians recruited were djembe drummers "Papa" Ladji Camara of Mali and Guinean Famoudou Konaté. The group performed in the United States in 1959, with a run of 48 performances on Broadway, following a successful European tour. After Guinea obtained its independence from France in 1958, then President of Senegal Ahmed Sékou Touré made the ballet the national ensemble. When President Sékou Touré died in 1984, government support came to an end, and the troupe encountered financial difficulties for several years, but has subsequently resumed touring.

In 1991, Italo Zambo, the company's artistic director, noted that the Los Angeles day performances differed from the night ones and performances in Africa and Europe in one respect: traditionally, Guinean men and women dance bare-chested. In 1967, while touring in Quebec, Canada, the troupe's director had to go to court in Montreal to answer the charge of inciting minors to give an indecent performance for this very reason. The judge dismissed the charge.

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