SABAR DANCES
With Yelly THIOUNE
Yelly Thioune is the son of a griot. His dancing career began in 1999 with the ballet ‘Thiaroye’s African Tam Tam’, which he performed in Europe and Africa. In 2004, the African Ndiguel Company played during the opening ceremony of the CAN African Cup of Nations.
He has trained numerous young artists and contributed to the infatuation that has surrounded the sabar tradition. Yelly is a born leader and creator, respected for his rigour and his deep knowledge of the traditions, as well as for his consideration and research into cultural exchange.
The sabar is a dance of the Wolof, Lebu and Serer people of Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania. The term sabar also means an ensemble of drums and the rhythms that accompany this dance, omnipresent at all celebratory occasions.
The sabar dance is essentially an improvised individual expression, a spontaneous dialogue with musicians.
