Angela Sadio Watson Biography

Angela Watson
19129
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/camaraarts/

angela_watson@hotmail.com

http://www.angelfire.com/folk/camaraarts/
angela_watson@hotmail.com

Angela ¡°Sadio¡± Watson is the founder & director for Camara Arts: Keepers of Tradition, and is committed to preserving and thus passing on the ancient healing African arts. Camara Arts preserves those cultural traditions particular to the Mande peoples of West Africa and of the African diaspora, through teaching its meaning, researching the history and purpose, and presenting in both educational and artistic showcases. Whether teaching or performing in group or as an individual artist, Angela¡¯s style is energetic and educational, while interacting with students in a way that is both with patience and perseverance.

Currently Angela Sadio, studies masquerade and drumming with Nanfoule, performs with Green Meadow cultural and educational shows for kids, Tyehimba, Ujima, Images of the Motherland, and Balafon West African Dance Ensemble. Formerly performing and Choreographing as the leading dancer in the Philadelphia based, 'KuluMele' & 'Troupe Dada', and with Les Ballets Africains de Papa Ladji Camara.

Every year Angela travels to West Africa researching dance history and training with Sekouba Camara, former director of ¡°Djoliba¡± and in various villages in Guinea, West Africa. From October '97 to August '98 Angela traveled to Guinea, West Africa, as a Fullbright scholar researching the history of the traditional village and ballet style dancing. This research and study was inspired years earlier by her training with ¡®Nanfoule¡¯.

In 1989, Angela began a study & practice of the Mandingue traditional dances of Guinea, West Africa, in ¡®Nanfoule¡¯, African Folklore Ensemble, directed by Aziz Ahmed & Denise Bey, prot¨¦g¨¦ students of the legendary Ladji Camara. In Nanfoule, Angela studied with some of the master artists of Djoliba and Les Ballets Africains, the national dance companies of Guinea, performing throughout the southwest. Some of the artists with whom she has studied include: Aziz Ahmed, Denise Bey, MBemba Bangoura, Sori Bangoura, Kadiatou Conte, MaBinty Cilla, Hawa Conte, Ali Cilla, and Moustapha Bangoura.

Angela earned a bachelor¡¯s degree in African Studies from Howard University and a master's degree in Dance/Movement Therapy at MCP Hahnemann University, both of which she draws upon to incorporate African principles of healing with Western therapeutic aspects of dance in her work. Today Angela is currently engaged in two projects: the first project is a dance cultural exchange with Japanese artist, Masako Oiwa, exploring similarities and connections of style and purpose in the dance, the other is the production of a dance theater play in dedication to the African Ancestors of this land.