The OM Festival

11:00am EDT

West African Dance

Saturday August 1, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

With LIVE drumming! Beginning/open level, led by Tara Murphy. This dance will get your blood pumping and your heart soaring....feel the rhythms and shake what you got! The uplifting dances and rhythms of Africa relieve stress and help people connect with their inner joy. Participants will learn the basic vocabulary of African dance as well as a traditional dance from Mali, Guinea or Senegal, West Africa. The class emphasizes community, self-expression and the joy of movement. Attire: Comfortable clothes, people may wear cloth around their waist. Please bring water.

Facilitators

Chris Keniley

Lead Drummer

Chris has studied and performed West African drumming for 20 years with drum masters Issa Coulibaly, Joh Camara, Sory Diabate of Mali and Mohamed Kalifa Kamara of Guinea. He plays for numerous events throughout New England and performs widely with Ammaya Dance & Drum. Partnering with... Read More →

Tara Murphy

Instructor

"Community African DanceOriginally from Washington, D.C., Tara earned her B.A. in theater and religious studies at Yale University, where she also began studying African dance. At this time Tara began exploring her heritage through African studies at Yale, and was awarded a fellowship... Read More →

Saturday August 1, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
The Big Barn

Dance, African Dance