It was actually the second time I'd seen a group of dancers present a show by introducing themselves as "not dancers." The first time the masked dancers were from the Dogon area of Mopti and I was woefully disappointed and underwhelmed, although the rest of the audience was delighted.
At the time, I chalked it up to having standards set too high by the many professional companies I have seen and worked with. What I didn't realize then I became fully aware of during the Wassoulou performance.
While several of the artists clearly had perfected their moves through rehearsal and trainings, many of them were just repeating what they do naturally. The dances and rhythms we were witnessing were being performed as they were actually used in the village. I'd often thought just coming to Africa was enough to understand the roots of the dances, but what I realized in that moment was that this was so much closer.
These farmers were just doing what they know. They were offering the very origin of the dances in their most authentic form. The only way to get closer would be for me to go to the fields themselves.
 |
| Captivating musician- farmers |
I was enchanted. They were good; they were skillful; they were real. When the masked dancers came out, everything shifted to an ever deeper level. Two different animal dances were presented- the monkeys and the buffalo. Both had the ability to capture and captivate the viewer, transporting us beyond the walls of the theater and into the otherworldly realm of spirits and superstition.
It had been awhile since I'd seen a masked dance and I'd forgotten just how powerful it is. It doesn't take long before the dancers are transformed, actually becoming the animal spirits. It is a radical and dramatic shift. Watching a masked animal dance is one sure way of reliving the magic of childhood and the wonderment of belief in the fantastical.
 |
| Mystical buffalo dancers |
The ability to create such life-like movements that allow the viewer to succumb to the visual suggestion before them, this ability to reflect the natural movements of animals in their environment can only come from actually viewing them in their environment. The closeness between man and the animal, the idea that they share living space and interact daily, it all became obviously apparent. With this realization came the contrary observation that we who are so enthralled, we the majority of the audience, live our lives at a distance, in ignorance of and unfamiliar with the organisms and beings with whom we share our world. We have removed ourselves from so much of what we used to be integrated with. We've become separate and alone.
It all came flooding through me at once- the raw authentic origin of the dance, the insight and knowledge of the artists, the losses brought about through modernity and development- and the real treasure that I was witnessing. I was stunned.
The three Malian women who singing only added to the sense of majesty. Their voices were of that soothing Sahel quality, the seductive longing for a romantic desert I am not convinced really exists. But I was lulled and lured and captivated by their voices. For one night, I allowed myself to give in to the haunting hymns of the sirens. For one night, Bamako was winning me over.
I wish I'd captured more- elegant and masterful.
 |
| A stunning duo |
