Drums & Dance 2026
JUNE 23 TO JULY 4
26th edition

An outstanding choreographer, dancer, philosopher and trainer, she is also the general and artistic director of Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata (1987). According to a holistic contemporary approach, she advocates for an art of movement that is both innovative and rooted in the African sources of music and dance, from which she extracts and formulates the principles and technicity (the LO.KE.TO).

Heralded as “Woman Dance” by the Abidjan Performing Arts Market in Ivory Coast (2018), Zab Maboungou received the Governor General of Canada's medal for the performing arts in 2021.

 Zab Maboungou is the founder and director of Centre Création Danse Nyata Nyata (2024).

Originally from Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ange Kodro Evry Aoussou-Dettmann is a choreographer and dancer. Trained in traditional dance in her native country, she has also pursued studies in contemporary, modern and jazz dance, from the renowned Ensemble Kotéba in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) to the Centre chorégraphique national de Grenoble in France, and the École des Sables in Senegal, from which she is a graduate.

Driven by a deep desire to pass on knowledge, and with the utmost respect for the cultures she comes from, she founded the Lauzoua Artistic Development Centre (CDAL).

She is also the artistic director of Ange Aoussou Company, and in 2023, she was awarded the Grand Prix Germaine Acogny by the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

Originally from Burkina Faso and Associate Artistic Director at Yale Dance Lab (USA), Lacina is a prominent figure in the dance world, recognized for his work as a professional dancer, choreographer, and instructor.

He draws on traditional African dances as the foundation of his creations, offering performances marked by a “captivating tranquility of presence in space,” (The New York Times).

While collaborating with renowned international companies (Salia ni Seydou, Urban Bush Women, Faso Danse Théâtre), he has developed Sigi-ni, an innovative analytical approach to African dance, and is also involved in the Engagement Féminin project for dance in Africa.

Elli learned to drum before he could walk, with Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, where he grew up. He is the company’s most recent and valued “memory”, having refined his style and technique alongside the great drum-masters. He is the designated musician for the training program in contemporary and traditional dance, rooted in African and diasporic sources.

In 2013, he formed his own Afro-jazz group, Jazzamboka, which won the Stingray Award for Best Music Composition at the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2017.

Mohamed was introduced to the art of percussion at the age of five in Conakry, Guinea, his country of origin. A percussionist and dancer, he trained with some of the greatest masters and continued his dual artistic development under the guidance of his father, Oumar N’Diaye, whom he joined in the National Dance Company of Guinea (Ballets Africains de Guinée). Later, they settled in Quebec, where Mohamed expanded his choreographic language by exploring contemporary dance with Ghyslaine Dôté’s company, Virtu’O.

His journey then led him to Mexico, where contact with the Afro-descendant culture of the Veracruz region allowed him to reconnect with his roots by highlighting the cultural fusion between West Africa and Mexico.

A musician of Mexican origin, he began his musical studies at the age of 15 at the Superior School of Music in Mexico City and later earns a title awarded in music theory by Trinity College London. His interest in percussion and music of African influence—particularly from West Africa—led him to independent research that included extensive travel to countries such as Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Brazil and Cuba, before specializing in African and Afro-Latin percussion.

He participates in various musical and artistic projects where research and consciousness are highlighted. He has been part of Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata since 2015.

Malian musician, Adama Daou, began developing his practice of African percussion (djembe, dundun, calabash, and balafon) in childhood, while participating in traditional ceremonies. In 2000, he moved to Paris, where he performed extensively in concerts and tours across France and Europe with several musical groups, including Lo’Jo, as well as with the Norma Claire dance company.

At the same time, Adama regularly organizes and leads classes and workshops in African percussion and dance in France, French Guiana, and Mali, both independently and in collaboration with community organizations. In late 2011, he settled in Montreal, took part in several music festivals across Canada, and worked with Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata.

In recent years, he has gained recognition for his mastery of the balafon, both through his performances and his teaching in schools across Quebec and Canada.

Lou Bass (Lou-Gaël Koné-Ferland) is a Montreal-based musician with Ivorian and Québécois roots who has been performing on stage since childhood. A percussionist and bassist, he has performed at festivals such as the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, Sarfest, and the Fringe Festival, alongside renowned artists. As a composer, he creates original music blending funk, mandingue, afrobeat, and kompa, offering modern and distinctive sounds. In parallel, he hosts events and celebrations, bringing memorable moments to every performance.