Jean Assamoa – Storyteller and Drummer

Jean Assamoa is a Professional dancer, musician, choreographer and Instructor-Lecturer, performer, comedian and actor from Abidjan, Ivory Coast of West Africa.  In addition to founding Akwaba Cultural Exchange, he is also the co-founder and artistic director of the Mask Dance Company Inc. from 1995 (date of its creation) to 2001.  Founder and president of Nzassa Company, Inc. since 1995 (date of its creation in Ivory Coast) to present and established in New York City since 2002.  He has worked as instructor-lecturer and performer with a variety of New York based cultural centers, non-for-profit organizations, public and high schools, colleges and CUNY honours programs.  He has dedicated himself to the promotion of cultural literacy by sharing his ancestral legacy worldwide, using the colorful, intriguing and often arresting traditional dance and masks from the Ivory Coast in many of his demonstrations. He entertains and educates audiences across Ontario with authentic ritual theatre techniques.