NGOMA II: Dances and Rhythms of Guinea, West Africa

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Celebrating its 57 th year, KTDC is proud to present NGOMA II: Dances and Rhythms of Guinea, West Africa. Promising to be exciting, revitalizing and stunningly visual, this concert is for all ages – A cultural journey into the ritual aspects of dance and music of Guinea, West Africa, focusing on harvest, rite of passage and celebration.

 

The word NGOMA comes from the Swahili language in East Africa, meaning both dance and drumming. In the tradition of its first NGOMA I, (2025) which featured dance and music with Ghanian dancer/musician and choreographer Ishmael Konney, Ngoma II 2026, is directed and choreographed by Adrean Maxwell along with Imani Huley, Desmond Cotton and orchestration by Deonte Ellis. Most exciting will be performances by both the adult and Ton Ko-Thi Children’s Performing Ensemble.

 

Ko-Thi Dance Company’s legacy and celebration of lineage will be in full display as the company welcomes Prince Adrean Maxwell back to Milwaukee and company as Associate Ensemble Director. Adrean grew up as a child in Ton Ko-Thi, attended Milwaukee School for the Arts and then traveled to Chicago’s Columbia College, continuing his training in African Diasporic technique while furthering his research into contemporary dance practices. In 2025, he received his BA Degree in dance from Columbia College. Adrean’s story within Ko-Thi Dance Company demonstrates a full circle from childhood into his arrival as an embodied artist in his own right.

 

NGOMA II, (2026) promises to capture the spirit of Guinean theater for all ages: an exciting family and community experience.