Uzuri Dance Theater

Nzengela Holmes

Nzengela Holmes is the Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer of Uzuri Dance Theater. She has over 25 years of dance experience. Her dance training includes Alvin Ailey, The Dance Theater of Harlem, Djoniba Dance and Drum Center, and Fareta School of Dance. Zen is currently a member of The Mikerline Haitian Dance Company and The Artist Dream. She is a former member of Bousso African Dance Company and Fusha Congolese Dance Company. Zen is the mother of 5 children ( 4 of them are professional dancers) and enjoys choreographing family productions.

Nzengela Holmes
Maguette Camara

Maguette Camara - Musical Director - is a recognized West African choreographer, musician and teacher based in New York City. Mr. Camara began his career with the Ballet Bougarabou Dance Company, and his extensive experience with this company allowed him to perform and present workshops in Morocco, Canada, Senegal and the United States. He has performed in diverse and impressive venues including The Lincoln Center Outdoor Concert Series, The Guggenheim Museum, The Rolling Stones World Tour, Epcot Center Disney World and The World Trade Center Jazz festival. As a faculty member at The Ailey School, Barnard College, Cathedral High School and Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, Maguette teaches both African dance and drum to all levels and all ages. Mr. Camara is also the artistic director and founder of the group Mane Kadang, which is guaranteed to set any stage on fire.

Maguette Camara
Rance Nix

I am a new transplant to New York City by way of Atlanta, Georgia. I graduated from the University of Georgia after studying Advertising and Music Business. I’ve always loved being in front of people and my goal in life is to be a positive inspiration to those that watch and encounter me.

Rance Nix
Kensiwe Mathebula Tshabalala

Kensiwe Mathebula Tshabalala is a trained and experienced South African actress who is excited about being apart of Anansi The Spider one of her first professional productions in the United States. After attaining her degree in Musical Theatre from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2010 she worked in the South African industry as an actor, dancer, singer and choreographer in both theatre and television. Her most recent accolades are the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards and Naledi Theatre Awards nominations for Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a play, as Cassandra in Christopher Durang’s play ‘Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike’. She recently completed the Acting for Film program at the New York Film Academy and now looks forward to building a career in New York. She is thrilled to be apart of this production that is set in her home continent and gives her the opportunity to entertain and uplift children.

Kensiwe Mathebula Tshabalala

Portia Genevieve

Portia Genevieve is a New York based actress from Sun Prairie, WI. She pursued her dream of acting professionally back in the spring of 2002, arriving at NY Penn Station with 2 suitcases and a smile. Her first NY theatrical debut was an original one-act play, Becoming Natasha, which was presented at the Six Figures Theater Festival in 2005. Upon receiving her B.A. in Art, her career has spanned from black box theaters, college performances, independent films, music videos, a dancer in Bollywood motion picture film, Jaaneman; and PBS’s rival kids’ show, The Electric Company. When not performing, she stays active with the NY chapter of Women in Animation; classroom education; volunteering; and U8 Boys soccer coaching. She resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her son, dog, and cat.

Portia Genevieve

N’tifafa Akoko

Born in Togo, West Africa, and transplanted to the United States, N’tifafa Akoko began her formal dance training in Flint, Michigan through a youth inner-city ballet company. She continued her training with the Young People’s Ballet Theater, and also at the Flint School of Performing arts leading to an opportunity to tour Europe twice with the Blue Lake Fine Arts Dance Ensemble. Ntifafa attended Grand Valley State University in Michigan where she majored in Dance and Pre-Physical Therapy; followed by an independent study graduate program at the Alvin Ailey School of dance. she studied dance with Milton Myers, Ann Marie Forsythe, and Maguette Camara along with various other instructors. She now performs with Fusha Dance Company, and others in the US and internationally.

N’tifafa Akoko

Dakota Holmes-Dodge

Dakota Holmes-Dodge has been dancing since the young age of 3 and has trained at Alvin Ailey School of Dance, Djoniba Dance Center, Batoto Yetu Dance Company and the Professional Performing Arts High School. His acting training began age 7 with Biz Kidz where, at age 18, he was the assistant acting coach. Dakota is currently a member of Batoto Yetu African Dance Company and Mikerline Haitian Dance Company. He is a former member of Kotchegna African Dance Company. His talent has brought him around the world performing in China, Portugal, Spain, as well as here in the US in Colorado and Texas and at The United Nations, Carnegie Hall, Joyce Theater and Symphony Space.

Dakota Holmes-Dodge

Yuko Tsuji

Yuko was born in Japan. She began her training in Jazz, Hip-Hop and House at the age seventeen. She came to U.S.A. and attended at Peridance Capezio Center in NY then has been learning African dance under the wing of Marie Basse-Wiles. Also she has been training with Babacar M’baye and Lamine Thiame. She is currently performing as a member of Maimouna Keita African Dance Company, Key Of Life Dance Company and several dance groups. She is falling in love with African dance.

Yuko Tsuji

Lamine Thiam

Lamine is a world-renowned dancer, choreographer, drummer, actor and instructor. Lamine specializes in West African Dance from his native Senegal and neighboring countries, including rhythms such as Sabar, Djembe and Bougarrabou.

Lamine Thiam

The Web

The Sky God

Leopard Faerie Snake

The Family

The Uzuri Family