Amina Haji caught the dancing bug in Oakland, Ca in 1994 when West African dance first captured her spirit. She trained under Mamadou Thiam of Ballet Sinimew of Senegal and other artists at the Malonga Casquelourd Arts Center. She then co-founded Lam Toro West African Dance and Drum Ensemble in 1995 in Sacramento, CA under the artistic direction of Mamadou Thiam, where she danced and managed the troupe. Amina moved back to Texas in 1997 and is looking forward to breaking out her dancing spirit again with Lananaya Dance and Drum ensemble!

Kimberly Caterino began studying West African dance & drum in 1996 in Burlington, Vermont. In 2000 she studied in Conakry, Guinea with former members of Les Ballets Africains, and in 2001 joined Burlington’s Jeh Kulu Dance and Drum Theater. Her primary teachers in Burlington were master dancer Sidiki Sylla and master drummer Ismael Bangoura, both from Conakry, Guinea. With Jeh Kulu she performed festivals and conferences in the greater New England area, collaborated to organize Vermont’s Annual West African & Drum Conference, and spearheaded a variety of multicultural professional development workshops for educators. She is a former English Teacher with a M.A. in English and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. Her love of music and sunshine inspired her to move to Austin, Texas in 2008.  She is very happy to join Lannaya!

Moya Khabele graduated from The University of Texas with a BBA in International Business and Spanish Language. She studied ballet, tap and jazz for 13 years and also taught dance to elementary school children and dance team to high school students for 4 years at All Star Dance Studio. She is a co-founder/ administrator of the Khabele School, a progressive college preparatory in downtown Austin.  She also now manages the Khabele Studio, a studio annex facility of the Khabele School which also hosts local dance classes and workshops.  Class offerings include tai chi, yoga, modern dance, tango, flamenco, pilates, and improvisational dance as well as rehearsal space for local dance companies. She has also studied Salsa, Haitian, Cuban, Senegalese, Hip Hop, and Improvisational Dance.  In her free time, she practices yoga and spends time with her husband, 6-year old daughter, and 3-year old son, and travels extensively.

Tonya has performed with Oracle Drum and Dance Theatre, Ballet Africans de Guinee Morifidian Diabate, and toured nationally with Kuumba House Dance Theatre. In 2006 she joined Lannaya West African Drum and Dance Ensemble, and is a member of its arts-education touring ensemble to K-12 schools throughout central Texas. Tonya is an independent grant-writer, American Sign Language interpretation student, and the Company Coordinator for Dance Salad Festival, an annual curated international choreography festival.

Djeneba (Jolie) Kaba participated in singing and dancing competitions in the Ivory Coast starting at a very young age, and often placed as a finalist.  Jolie is passionate in her love of singing and dancing and has been eager to participate in festivities since her arrival in the U.S. on November 28, 2005. The Academy of Arts and Humanities at Johnston High School in collaboration with the International School, presented their spring concert, A Pops Concert, in which Jolie was featured as a soloist.  Jolie has performed at The Austin’s Children’s Museum, the Festival Celebrating Youth, Manor Elementary Family Night, and The Mariposas Spanish Schools presentation of Cha Cha Cha, A Fiesta!