Check out our partners in educational equity:

www.callandresponse-educators-network.com

Ibrahima Boka Bangoura

Ibrahima Boka Bangoura, is already a strong and serious musician. He takes after his father Ismael Bangoura in his talent and natural musicality. He plays djembe and doundouns, often holding it down for dance classes, and performing with his mom and dad. He is naturally curious about all musical instruments. Boka is a always a crowd favorite, showing mastery and natural musicianship as early as the age of three.

Amelie Thurston

Amelie Thurston is a fulltime nurse at the University of Vermont Medical Center where she is a teaching instructor in the Labor and Delivery department.  Amelie has spent years studying dance and traveling back and forth to Senegal.  She spends her free time attending dance conferences whenever possible and caring for her two children Afia and Gus.

Kimberly Hannah Caterino

Kimberly has co-founded a partnership educator's professional development organization, "Call and Response Education Network" and has assisted with promoting culturally responsive pedagogy and anti-racism work among local educators.  She leads an annual educator's day professional development workshop that coincides with Jeh Kulu's annual festival.

Autumn Bangoura: Autumn has been drumming and dancing since the age of 15. She grew up in Warren, VT and studied under "D'Moja" for several years. Autumn founded and directed the creative dance company "Earth Expressions" based out of Evergreen State College and performed and did artist in residencies in different venues all over Washington State. She currently plays drums weekly for dance classes and has been an active member of Jeh Kulu for over 10 years and represents for all the woman drummers out there. She is also a gifted teacher, and tireless mother to three children. She has endless energy and patience as a performer and company.

Erin Star Hughes: Erin has been dancing since she could walk, infamous in childhood for impressions of both Janet and Michael Jackson, and endless dance shows. She performed with various ensembles throughout high school and college, but never found her true niche until a friend brought her along to a West African Dance class. She began studying West African Dance intensively by 1997 and has traveled to Senegal on a study tour with members of Le Ballet National du Senegal and then returned to Dakar for an intensive study with a smaller ballet, Le Ballet de Songomar. She first joined Jeh Kulu as a performing member in 2002, and in addition to performing, coordinates Jeh Kulu’s community outreach. She works for ARD Inc, an international development firm in Burlington Vermont and is the proud mother of future superstar, Mafali Sene.