Heritage and tradition through dance by the Balafon West African Dance Ensemble

>>> WELL, WE TOLD YOU EARLIER IN THE SHOW HOW THE NEW MOVIE, MARVEL MOVIE "WAKANDA FOREVER" IS IN THEATERS TODAY. AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS AN IMAGINARY LAND, THE CULTURES THEY EMBRACE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR GENERATIONS. >> LOCAL DANCE ENSEMBLE BALAFON INSPIRES HISTORY AND CULTURE IN SOME CASES THAT GOES BACK 150 GENERATIONS. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE? MIKEY HAS MORE.

>> Reporter: I HAVE WITH ME LINDSEY McDANIEL WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHRISALA WHO YOU'RE A DANCER, A PERFORMER, YOU DO IT ALL, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BALAFON AND HOW IT GOT STARTED AND WHAT BROUGHT IT TO LIFE. >> BALAFON IS A PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE, AND IT ACTUALLY STARTED IN DC 25 YEARS AGO. OUR FOUNDER, THE PRINCIPAL DANCER OF GUINEA'S NATIONAL BALLET, AND SHE BROUGHT THE COMPANY HERE WITH HER TO PITTSBURGH. WE BECAME A NONPROFIT IN 2010. AND OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE PERFORMED, WE ALSO TEACH ARTS EDUCATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE, TO YOUNG PEOPLE AT HEART WHO ARE OLDER AND SENIORS.

SO WE REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SHARING THE CULTURE OF GUINEA AND ALSO THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT. WE WORK WITH A LOT OF MASTER ARTISTS FROM OTHER AREAS OF WEST AFRICA, OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT PEOPLE REALLY KNOW THEIR RICHNESS AND DEPTH OF WHAT AFRICAN ARTS IS. >> WHAT AN AMAZING HISTORY. AND THE MOVIE COMES OUT, PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION? >> I THINK, -- YOU KNOW, WHEN WITH WE THINK ABOUT AFRICA, WE THINK ABOUT THE SINGULAR PLACE, AND THE BEAUTY THE IDEA OF "WAKANDA" BECAUSE WE GET ASKED ALL THE TIME IS THAT A PLACE? IT'S NOT.

I KNOW. BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT, WE REALIZE THE RICHNESS, THE TECHNOLOGY, THE HUMANITY, THE UNITY, THE CULTURE JUST THAT EXISTS IN THIS PLACE AND THE DESIRE TO BE UNIFIRED. YOU KNOW, AND THAT IS REALLY WHAT WE DO AS BALAFON AS WE UNIFY PEOPLE THROUGH OUR ART, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR MUSIC. YOU HEAR THE MUSIC, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT MOVE. YOU SEE THE MOVIE, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT TAP YOUR FEET A LITTLE BIT. >> WHAT ARE WE GOING TO WITNESS? I CAN'T WAIT. I LOVE THE BLUE, BY THE WAY. >> ONE OF THE RHYTHMS THAT IS OFTEN PASSED DOWN IS THE LONBON, SO THAT IS ONE OF THE RIBBONS WE HOLD DEAR TO US BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IT, AND WE HAVE TO HOLD IT IN A VERY HIGH ESTEEM BECAUSE IT IS THE WAY THAT WE TELL STORIES, THAT WE KEEP HISTORY, THAT WE PASS ON THAT KNOWLEDGE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

>> OKAY. WELL, LET'S CHECK IT OUT. >> REALLY SO IMPRESSIVE TO HAVE THESE TALENTED ARTISTS WITH US IN STUDIO AND TO BE ABLE TO .

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