ABOUT THE DIRECTORS AND SCHOOL

Artistic Director, Colleen Hendrick is “One of Rochester’s most distinctive performers... commanding... conquering through the sheer authority of her involvement.” (Herbert Simpson, City Newspaper) In 1994 Ms. Hendrick’s epic work, Days Swinging Home, received the Lillian Fairchild Award for artistic excellence. Ms. Hendrick has performed regularly, including four seasons at the Merce Cunningham Theater in Manhattan, a shared performance with Urban Bush Women and as part of the e.e. cummings International Centennial Celebration. She received her B.A. in Creative Writing and Performance and Choreography from the New York State University at Empire State College, and is returning to finish her Master’s Degree in the fall of 2010. Ms. Hendrick is a graduate of the Assisi Institute, where she was honored for her contribution to the investigation of psyche and matter. She is currently engaged in a third year of study with Founder, Michael Conforti, Phd. You can visit her website, http://www.surrendertothecall.com to find out more about her work with Archetypal Pattern Recognition.

Musical Director, Blair Hornbuckle enjoys teaching, working hard and performing; he’s fascinated by the precision and chaos inherent in playing West African music. Mr. Hornbuckle’s performance career highlights include opening for the Wailers and playing to a crowd of 80,000 people at Woodstock ’99.

Both directors have studied in West Africa. Their teachers include M’baye Diagne, Anisha Hassan, Robin Hibert, Lansana Kouyate, Aliou Djouf, Landing Diatta, Michael Markus, , Mamadouba Camara, Pam Lord Camara, Mamady Keita, Famoudou Konate, Djeli Kany Diawara and Niatou Camara, Yalani Bangoura and M’Bemba Bangoura and Youssouf Koumbassa. Together, they lead Bush Mango Drum and Dance, Youth Project, and teach drum and dance at 34 Elton Street at the Bush Mango Community Center. There, in a lively, challenging and nurturing environment, youth and adults participate together in weekly classes that honor the traditions of making music and dance.

ABOUT THE BUSH MANGO DRUM
AND DANCE COMPANY

Adrienne Collier, originally from Buffalo, NY, works in the Human Resources Department at The College at Brockport. She has performed with other groups such as the African-American Cultural Center performing troupe, Africa Foli and the African-Caribbean Dance Ensemble. I appreciate the welcoming atmosphere and the camaraderie at Bush Mango.

Marrston Blackburn is a native of Rochester. He currently resides in Albany and works as an Assistant Child Care Director at the YMCA; he has been attending school for his Child Care Credentials since September 2009. Marrston has been with Bush Mango Drum & Dance for seven years. He says, “Bush Mango is so welcoming and makes me feel part of a family when I feel I have none of my own; even when I leave to pursue other parts of my life, when I come back, the feeling is still there!”

Roseanne DiMaria, was born in Rochester. She is an assistant teacher at St. Joseph’s Villa and has been dancing and teaching with Bush Mango Drum & Dance for five years. Roseanne says she “gets to move beyond normal standards of society and to expect more of herself everyday!”

Ziad El-Bejjani, was born in Rochester. His mom is the Artistic Director, so he has been with the company since birth, though he’s been performing for five years. Since the fall of 2009 he has been a sophomore at Wilson Commencement High School, where he plays on the varsity soccer team. Ziad likes “being part of Bush Mango because it’s a positive contribution to the City.”

Kris Kimmel, a Rochester native, owns Kris. B. Kimmel Construction Drafting, Inc., where he does mechanical drafting and coordination for commercial projects statewide. He’s been with Bush Mango Drum & Dance for eight years and says, “I love the Bush Mango community as well as the individuals within the community. I love watching the kids grow up and learn, and I feed off of their excitement. It’s really great that Bush Mango gives me the opportunity to just play and have fun in a setting which brings so many other wonderful and very satisfying aspects into something I already love doing—drumming and dancing.”

Joel Lomnick, was born in Rochester, New York. He now lives in Albany, New York where he works as a Project Engineer at M/E Engineering. He has been performing with Bush Mango Drum & Dance whenever possible for seven years. Joel says, "I love the energy, the family environment and the opportunity to always learn something new about the culture of West African drum and dance."

Amy McDonald, was born in Auburn, NY. When not dancing or teaching with Bush Mango Drum & Dance, she works as a bookkeeper and gardener. She has been with Bush Mango for four years and “loves working with the kids; it’s a great community with a lot of talent.” Amy also plays the clarinet in a local band, The Lobster Quadrille.

Keith Rosengren, the Chef Manager at Roberts Wesleyan College, was born in White Plains, NY. He’s been with the company for six years and says that he loves being a part of Bush Mango Drum & Dance because of “the excitement; the rich, continuous learning; and the people.” Keith also plays the keyboard and bucket in The Lobster Quadrille.

Sonnet Stepp, was born in Buffalo, NY. She is a Telecom Analyst at Paychex, Inc. when not dancing with Bush Mango Drum & Dance. She has been with the company for eight years and says, “I LOVE to dance, and Bush Mango provides me a welcoming place where I can do just that. It sometimes serves as a stress reliever from a hard day at work, and I’m thankful for my dance family!”

Ariel Washington, is a native of Rochester. She is an eighth-grader at Dr. Freddie Thomas High School. She has been a student at Bush Mango Drum & Dance for five years and dancing with the company for four years. Ariel says, “Bush Mango doesn’t feel like just a dance company. We are one big family. I have lots of brothers and sisters here that help me out. Even if they are younger than me, I still learn from them.”

James (Sammy) Welchis a native of South Carolina. He is a junior at Wilson Commencement High School. Sam has been a student at Bush Mango Drum & Dance for seven years, performing with the company for five years. Sam says, “I love the freedom I have to express myself creatively with Bush Mango Drum & Dance and all the friends that I have here.”

Jordan White is a native of Webster and is a senior at Webster Thomas High School. He has been with Bush Mango Drum & Dance for eight years and it’s “the people” that he loves the most about the experience.