Afropop Worldwide

And at this point, it is beginning to seem as if  Dallas based writer and director Alan Govenar spends his days in ceaseless search of "the most interesting people alive"... and with his latest film, "You don't need feet to dance" it would seem that he has once more found a perfect story. The man in question? Sidiki Conde. Hailing from the Kankan region of Guinea, which shares an eastern border with Côte d'Ivoire and Mali, Sidiki and his group, the Tokounou All-Abilities Dance and Music Ensemble, are a fairly traditional performance organization. But it would be remiss to call this group standard, for its lead singer truly springboards the group into non-traditional waters where perspective is shifted. "You Don't Need Feet to Dance" is a documentary film about Sidiki Conde who, at the age of fourteen, was overcome by polio. The disease took the proper functioning of both his legs. Yet Sidiki refused to relinquish social normality, learning to use his upper body to the point that he was able to perform the traditional coming of age dances with his peers. At the Quad Cinema on 22 March, the breadth of Sidiki's work in promoting respect for and reducing the social isolation of persons of limited functional physical capacity via music and dance will be made clear. As Sidiki claims "Dance is happiness," and it is through music that community is developed around learning and healing. Learn more about Sidiki Conde and the film HERE. And check out the trailer! http://youtu.be/bPjEo4eMYTE Dance! Sidiki and Tokounou perform live in conjunction with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance!