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About Our Director



Christina Gerard-Sylla



Christina "Jo Jo Dancer" Gerard-Sylla possesses over 30 years of professional performance experience beginning in 1991 as a hip hop background dancer with such artists as RP Cola, Act-a-Fool, and UGK. After a decade of touring, the desire to learn the origins of hip hop prompted her to perform and study under world renowned drummer, dancer and griot, Djeli Moussa Diabate, for seven years. With the blessing of her master and elders from Conakry, Guinea, West Africa, Christina founded KoumanKe'le'(kuma kelen) African Dance & Drum Ensemble in 2003 where she currently serves as Artistic Director.

Mrs. Gerard-Sylla's desire to positively impact and empower today's youth set her on a journey to become an Arts Educator with SHAPE Community Center and Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (M.E.C.A.) from 2002 until the present. She has been an Arts Instructor for KIPP Schools, Houston ISD, Stafford ISD, Fort Bend ISD, Alief ISD, Aldine ISD, CASE, 21st Century After-School, as well as, served as an Adjunct Professor at Houston Community College-Northwest. As a lecturer, Mrs Gerard-Sylla has presented for Colorado's Creative Strategies for Change: Social Justice 101, Houston's Society for the Performing Arts, Houston Arts Partners' annual conference-The World Classroom, Houston Community College-Central, Houston Grand Opera-Religare Music Series and The Imani Institute. Other professional experience includes Artistic Director and principal dancer with Kuumba House Dance Theater, under the direction of Lindi Yeni and Dimakasto 'Mama D" Hampton: principal dancer with Djeli Kunda West African Drum & Dance Ensemble under the direction of Moussa Diabate and dancer with WonLande Dance & Drum Company directed by Mohamed Diaby. Christina also served as artistic director of the Impilio Cultural Dance Troupe where she created and choreographed the 60- minute traditional dance ballet, The Seven Gifts of Kwanzaa. Discovering Houston's lack of exposure to master African diaspora dance instructors, in 2008 Christina created the Kipekee African Diaspora Dance & Drum Festival and helps host the national conference in Houston, Texas annually.

​In 2013, Christina founded the Uaminifu Youth Ensemble to better serve the children of our community. The year 2014 saw the creation of the Kuaminika Dance Academy once Mrs Gerard-Sylla realized our children needed to study more before they performed. In 2019, Christina felt a personal shift toward theater and film after being cast as a soloist in the new Coming to America 2 movie starring Eddie Murphy. December of 2021 saw Christina's acting debut in the role of 'Aunt Daisy" in the Cultural Arts Initiative's Houston's Urban Nutcracker production. Currently, Mrs Gerard-Sylla continues her own cultural studies with annual trips to Africa, instructs the rhythmic bodies and hands of future generations of traditional dancers and drummers, performs professionally across the USA and Mexico, while sharing the world of dance and culture with her husband, Moussa, daughters Nonde, Iona Makota, Xolani and grandsons, Ayden and Khailin.




Meet the Family..



Female principals



Dr Adiagha Mbonisi



Co-Founder



Adiagha has been involved in cultural arts since 1991 with performance, choreographer, production, costume design and instructor experience. She has performed and studied under world renown dancer, drummer griot Djeli Moussa Diabate, Youssouff Koumbassa and Mamady Sano. Adiagha has traveled and performed around the USA and Africa, as well as, instructed youth and adults throughout Texas on the history, culture and movement of West African dance. Adiagha has performed in local plays throughout Houston and Dallas, Texas, as well.



Ajewole allen



Associate Director



Alana Allen began training with Paul Sloan of Houston School of Dance ap Ensemble), a pre-professional youth company in Houston, Texas. She continued her studies of musical theater, tap and ballet through senior high school performing in notable places as Miller Outdoor Theater alongside Houston Symphony Pops Orchestra and with Dickins on the Strand in Galveston, Texas. Throughout her college dance career at Praire View A & M University, she was a member of Classic Dance Ensemble under the direction of Danyale Williams. Alana is a founding member of the PVAMU chapter of Nu Delta Alpha dance fraternity.



iona ashe'



Dancer



xolani ashe'



Dancer



Beryl colbert



Dancer



Evonna Crudup



Dancer



brittany lane



Dancer
2020-2022



Nichole Jackson



Dancer
2020-2022



Nonde Simpson



Dancer
2003-2018



Nana Dompreh



Dancer
2014-2016



deanna santiago



Dancer
2013-2016



Male principals



Terrell davenport



Dancer



This native of Warrenton, North Carolina, quickly found a love for the performing arts at an early age. As he grew older, his love for the performing arts beconed him to audition for various plays and talent shows where he choreographed stage performances. Not limiting himself to singing and acting, Mr Davenport began to explore his gift of dance. During that time he joined The Coalition of Youth Empowerment under the Whole Village Dance Ensemble. It was at that moment, his passion to express various aspects of culture through dance and performance thrived. In 2007, Terrell graduated from St Augustine's College with a Bachelor's degree in Theater and Film. Shortly after he studied dance and culture abroad on the continent of Africa and in the Caribbean. After a few short years of cultivating his passion for the performing arts, Mr Davenport perused a degree in dance at North Carolina Agricultural and State University. While attending her was a company member with Eleanor Gwynn Dancers and Wesley Williams Urban Dance Theatre.



christopher lawrence vii



Dancer
2021-2022



Alonzo Lee moore iv



Dancer
2011-2014



The musicians



adam carman



Drummer
Djembe 1st Chair



Adam received his first drum in 1999 and began playing at drum circles, poetry readings and open mic events. In 2004, Adam met Terrance Karn and started performing with Moodafaruka, a world fusion band. Through Terrence, Adam was exposed to musical accompaniment for modern dance at University of Houston, Hopestone, Inc., and Houston Ballet/Ben Stevenson academy. It was at this time he also joined Kuumba House Dance Theatre, a South African dance compnay founded by Lindi Yeni. Here, he met, the then artistic director, Christina Gerard, and it proved to be a lasting partnership. Having played with a number of bands over the years, widely ranging in genre, Adam is always drawn back to the African roots of music. Since 2008, his focus has been classical, religious and folks music from the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.



damon garfield



Drummer
Dunun



max incharregui



Drummer
Djembe 2nd Chair



Max has been honored and privileged to be a member of KoumanKe'le' since 2014, where he has studied the folklore., culture, music and dance of West African djembe/dundun and South African traditions. He began his study of Malinke culture under the late Abubakr Kouyate, who introduced him to Christina Gerard-Sylla and Baba Ogunrinde Abiona. Studying under Ms Christina and Mr Washington for several years, Max has laid a foundation of drumming knowledge and skills as a student. He has plans to continue performing and learning with KoumanKe'le for as long as possible. .



londyn sampson



Drummer
Dunun



ezenachi uzoma



Drummer
Djembe



cameron martin



Drummer
Dunun



Isaac goins



Drummer
Djembe



Jerome Ondrel harris



Drummer Emeritus
Rest in Power



" All of the words in all of the world were put in the drum and then they closed it. You have to respect that."



- Moussa Diabate


Contact us



Houston, Texas 77051
832-859-2156