Harriet Tubaman and Faubion Schools have a shared dance program in Portland Public Schools led by Derrell Sekou Walker and Oluyinka Parsons-Akinjiola. Students focus on Traditional West African Dance, Afro-Caribbean, Modern and Contemporary dance. Both schools have beginning, intermediate and advanced classes. Every year we have two semester concerts at PPS High Schools.
In class, dancers will work on increasing coordination, strength, flexibility and rhythm, as well as developing knowledge of culture, vocabulary and movement. Dance classes are be physically demanding and artistically challenging.
In class, dancers will work on increasing coordination, strength, flexibility and rhythm, as well as developing knowledge of culture, vocabulary and movement. Dance classes are be physically demanding and artistically challenging.
About our teachers
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Oluyinka Parsons-Akinjiola
e-mail: oparsonsakinjio@pps.net Oluyinka A. Akinjiola is the Artistic Director of Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater and a Portland Public School teacher. Oluyinka is a recipient of the Oregon Dance Education Organizations 2020 Teacher of the year award, 2017 Oregon Arts Commission Artist Fellowship, Monserrat Award for Dance Research, multiple Regional Arts and Culture Council Project grants, Multnomah County Cultural Coalition and Oregon Community Foundation grants. Oluyinka received a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography and Performance and was Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at Reed College and SUNY The College at Brockport. Her artistry and pedagogy creates a unique blend between dances of Africa, the African Diaspora, Modern dance and social justice issues. She was a three year guest artist for the Sankofa African Drum & Dance Ensemble; her work was featured in the International Association of Blacks in Dance conference (Washington D.C. and Los Angeles), Carnaval 2014 (Salvador, BA, Brazil), TEDxMtHood, and Newmark Theater among others. After being a teaching artist with the Right Brain Initiative and Young Audiences, Oluyinka joined Portland Public Schools in 2015 and is now a current dance teacher at both Harriet Tubman Middle School and Faubion K-8. |
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Derrell Sekou Walker
e-mail: dwalker@pps.net Derrell “Sekou Soumah” Walker is a Portland, Oregon native and a strong presence in the West African Drum and Dance community. He is the perfect blend of drum and dance; Western and West African. He effortlessly inhabits the highest levels of Mandingue drum and dance, and blends these skills with his American roots and a deep knowledge of the Mandingue culture. The embodiment of these traits combined with a natural gift for teaching and mentoring make Sekou one of a kind. Africans and non-Africans alike respect him worldwide. This is reflected in Sekou's starring as both a dancer and a percussionist in Moustapha Bangoura's Tinkanyi instructional dance videos in 2003. In 2004 Sekou received his teaching certification from Mamady Keita and Tam Tam Mandingue, followed by a teaching diploma in 2008. Sekou began his dance career in 1998, after several years of training as an athlete. The path from athlete to dancer is an unusual one. As a result of thousands of hours spent training and competing in track & field and baseball, Sekou possesses a grace and power in dance that is rare, particularly amongst American-born African dancers. Sekou continues to refine these skills through performing and teaching dance all over the United States and internationally in countries including Scotland, Singapore, China, Australia Mexico and Bali. |
