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 About
Alokli
Alokli West African Dance, founded in 1985, is a unique community and
a unique dance company. Our name (Ah-Loh-KLEE) means "branch"
in Ewegbe, the language of the Ewes of West Africa. In literature and song their
culture is often compared to a mighty tree with deep roots, and thus our name.
Modelled after traditional dance-drumming societies, Alokli adapts an ancient
cultural heritage to enhance the lives of modern town dwellers, creating music
and dance indigenous to the peoples of Marin
County, California.
The ensemble performs regularly at local events
such as the Marin County Fair, Fairfax Festival, and Farmers Markets. We often
donate performances to fund-raising efforts for schools, charities, and the
like. Alokli has done educational presentations at Bacich School and Lagunitas
Middle School among many others, and at the Marin Civic Center Auditorium with
the Marin Symphony. A typical performance features lively authentic dances from
several ethnic groups of Ghana,
Togo, Nigeria and Benin, accompanied by drums, bells, rattles and song. With
colorful costumes and a variety of native instruments, Alokli is always a crowd-pleasing
show.
Classes and Services
Alokli offers ongoing adult and children's dance, music & singing classes.
We publish and sell audio
tapes, videos, and songbooks designed to teach and promote greater understanding
of African music and culture. These materials are available to our classroom
students directly, or to others via our on-line
web store. Proceeds from sales go to support classes and help us create
new educational products (ok, sometimes they go for coffee and donuts too).
Community Impact
Over the years, Alokli has directly inspired related activities in Marin and
surrounding communities. Many ensemble members have gone on to teach African
arts and culture as part of their job or community service work. We know of
programs for middle-school and high-school students, autistic patients, abused
children, disadvantaged teenagers, at least one dance/therapy class, and a music
program for theatrical students - all evolving from our classroom and performance
activities. Teachers from other schools are welcome to attend Alokli classes
and take what they learn back to their own classrooms.
But watch the faces of a typical Alokli audience for the real story on community
impact. Few performing ensembles can shake up people's fixed ideas about African
culture in quite the way that we do. Alokli is a unique experience for audiences
wherever we perform.
Religious and Political Affiliations
In case you're wondering we are neither a religious group nor particularly active politically, any more than
a Chamber Music ensemble is necessarily active in Viennese politics. For us, African dance-drumming is among
the great cultural treasures of the world; right up there with Beethoven, Rumi and Chinese cuisine. We play
and dance because it makes us feel good, because it gives us community and spirituality, and because we're fortunate
enough to have several great teachers living nearby. Our one radical notion is that people are people wherever
you go, and we promote that viewpoint wherever we go. For an alternative point a view, click here.
Directors
Dan Gorlin
is founder and Director of Alokli West African Dance, and a Master Drummer in
the tradition of the Ewes of West Africa. Dan currently teaches our music and
song workshops.
Rebekka
Maestre is Alokli's Dance Director and currently teaches our dance classes.
A veteran member of Alokli, she also performs with C.K. Ladzekpo's African
Music & Dance Ensemble.
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