Jul. 3, 2025 By Athena Dawson
A group of seven talented dancers recently performed at the Queensboro Dance Festival as part of an innovative dance program.
The dancers, Megan Simmons, Shydae Hampton, Briana Glover, Timothy Barner, Jose “Teddy” Castillo, Madisyn Manley, and Toni “Chanel” Flowers, are students from CUNY schools across the five boroughs, including Lehman College, Hunter College, and Queens College.
They are participating in Kofago Taraji, a traditional West African and Caribbean folkloric dance education program developed by Kofago Dance Ensemble founder Kevin McEwen.
From June to September, the program trains 18 to 22-year-old college students of varying performance backgrounds. Kofago Taraji then performs with the Kofago Dance Ensemble at multiple events hosted in the city and New York State.
Kofago Taraji dancers took the stage at the Queensboro Dance Festival on June 7. Courtesy of Jonavennci Divad.
At the start of the program in June, students went through a weeklong intensive program leading up to their June 7 performance at the ongoing Queensboro Dance Festival. During that programming, the dancers did daily six-hour-long classes, where they learned a West African initiation dance called Sole, which hails from Ghana and Senegal. The students will continue to perform in the festival throughout August.
Kofago Taraji is Kofago Dance Ensemble’s inaugural student dance program. It is modeled after the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) in that it provides employment opportunities to students, paying them $16.75 an hour.
The Kofago Taraji program is unique in that it is one of the only summer arts programs that shifts the focus beyond ballet or contemporary dance to the rhythms and movements of the African Diaspora. Flushing Town Hall and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) provided funding for this program.
Dancers performed for Kofago Taraji member, Timothy Barner, who showcased his choreography at the show (Kassoumai) on Saturday. Courtesy of Jonavennci Divad.
Program director and choreographer Serena Maximilian said that McEwen, an educator at Queensborough Community College and Lehman College, wanted to bring African Diasporic dance opportunities to his students. “ He felt that there was something lacking in terms of education and how his student would not necessarily be involved in the community as much as they would like, or they weren’t getting enough opportunities to dance and perform outside of school,” Maxaimilian said. “So he felt the need to create a program where we would guide them. And let them know how concert dance works… how to approach, the African diaspora community in terms of dance, and really understand the learning process, how to ask questions, and how to really get involved in the community,” she said.
Maximilian said around 14 CUNY students competed in a competitive audition process this spring for the summer-long program. The choreographer said that the students have been excited about the learning process and are embracing the various dance styles. “ Any feedback that I give them, they’re very receptive, and it’s always positive energy. I can see them really trying to grow themselves and better themselves in terms of dance,” she said.
Photo courtesy of Jonavennci Divad.
Maximilian emphasized that learning African and Caribbean diasporic dances is important as it widens one’s worldview of “respected” dances and connects to communal lineage.
“ The same level of respect that we have for ballet and modern, we should have the same respect for those traditional dances,” she said. “It is important because it is part of who they are. Like, there is a lineage between, um, people that are from here and people that are from the motherland. Whether you don’t necessarily know where your roots are, that can be an entry point for you,” she said.
Maximilian said that she looks forward to expanding and continuing the program next year, and so far, the students have given positive feedback. “ A few of them got emotional after the show on Saturday. They were just so overwhelmed and just happy to perform, because some of them haven’t been exposed to that. And just seeing the overall community and how the dance community really can come together,” she added.
Photo courtesy of Jonavennci Divad.
Below is the Kofago Taraji Dance Schedule;
Saturday, July 5
Queensboro Dance Festival – Far Rockaway Beach
Beach 17th St. Playground
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 19
Queensboro Dance Festival – Roy Wilkins Park
Roy Wilkins Park
5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 26
Queensboro Dance Festival – Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 10
Queensboro Dance Festival – Unisphere
Unisphere, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.