Ausettua Amor Amenkum

AUSETTUA AMOR AMENKUM, Artistic Director and founding member of Kumbuka African Drum & Dance Collective, has studied extensively in Africa with Kimati Dinizulu & The Kotoko Society (Ghana, West Africa), Frank Desire and the Asakivle Haitian Cultural Ensemble (Soucree, Haiti). Additional training in African dance and culture with from the late Baba Ishangi, the late Sundiata Keita (Detroit), the late Alyo Tolbert, Muntu Dance Theater (Chicago), Siquan Diop, (Atlanta), Maria Bass (New York) Chuck Davis, Chuck Davis Dance Company (North Carolina), C.K. Ganyo, (Colorado), the late Baba Olatunji, (New York) Onye Isuzu, (Florida) Babacar Mboup, (Senegal) John Leon Destine, (New York) and Kwame Ross (New York) and Richard Gonzales (New York) An adjunct professor at Tulane University since 1993 Ausettua teaches beginning and intermediate levels of African dance and hip-hop dance. She made her debut as "Big Queen" when she came out as Queen to 2nd Chief David Montana of the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Mardi Gras Day 2007. Ausettua AmorAmenkum was the recipient of the Mayor's Art Award in 2004.