COCA Presents 2013-2014 Afriky Lolo's Samba

By: Jan. 13, 2014
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COCA presents Afriky Lolo's Samba, the next installment of its new performance series COCA Presents 2013-2014, February 8, 2014, in COCA's Founders' Theatre. Zion Thomas is Samba, a young African boy who struggles to respect his ancestral history, but soon learns how important the past can be to the future. This story is brought to life by the extraordinary Dia?die? Bathily and his troupe of talented dancers, Afriky Lolo. The unique production features physical storytelling, lively dancing, drumming and ornate puppets, headdresses and masks. Samba is recommended for ages 5 and up.

WHAT: WHERE: WHEN: PRICES:

THE CAST:

COCA Presents 2013-2014: Afriky Lolo's Samba
Founders' Theatre at COCA, 524 Trinity Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63130 Saturday, February 8, 2:00pm and 5:00pm

Tickets ($14-18) are available for purchase online at www.cocastl.org, by phone at 314.561,4877 or in person at COCA during box office hours. Subscription packages comprised of at least six season shows are also available.

Zion Thomas (Samba) is a native of St. Louis. He is twelve years old and in the seventh grade at Mary Institute and Country Day School (MICDS). Thomas has been acting professionally since he was eight years old and has been in national, regional and local commercials. He is represented by Talent Plus Agency. Thomas has performed the roles of Tom in SchoolHouse Rock, Puck in A Midsummer's Night Dream and Lucenzio in The Taming of the Shrew, sponsored by STAGES and Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis' educational partnership with City Academy School. Thomas first began dancing under the tutelage of master choreographer Dia?die? Bathily in 2008 when he was just six years old.

THE CREATIVE TEAM: The creative team for Samba includes Director and Choreographer Dia?die? Bathily, Assistant

Choreographer Rokya Ouattara, Musical Director Caph Guei and Stage Manager Emily Fisher.

Dia?die? Bathily (pronounced Jah-Jay) is the artistic director of Afriky Lolo, a St. Louis-based Dance Company that he founded in 2003 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 2007.

Bathily is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, instructor and costume designer. He has danced professionally for over 30 years on stages in Africa, Europe and North America. Bathily's specialty is West African dance. He has conducted master classes and workshops throughout Europe and North America and has performed with or choreographed for such notable companies as the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (Denver, Colorado), the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts & Humanities (East St. Louis, Illinois), Ecole de Danse et d'Echange Culturel with Ms. Marie Rose Guiraud (Ivory Coast) and Broadway Dance Center (New York City).

COCA Presents is COCA's new performance series. It includes the quality family theatre for which COCA is known, but now also includes offerings for older children, teens and adults. Comprised of shows created and produced by COCA, as well as the best touring productions from around the world, COCA Presents offers bold, cross-disciplinary performances for all ages.

COCA Presents 2013-2014 is presented by Wells Fargo Advisors. Edward Jones and Mary Strauss are Season Sponsors. The Cheshire is the Official Hotel Sponsor of COCA Presents 2013-2014. St. Louis Public Radio is the COCA Presents 2013-2014 Media Sponsor.

Nearly Lear (February 22, 2014), Tall Stories' Snail and the Whale (March 22-23, 2014), Terrapin Puppet Theatre's Love (May 3-4, 2014), Sossy Mechanics' Trick Boxing (June 7 and 14, 2014), and the COCA Summer Musical Ragtime (July 25-26, 2014).


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