Shake Flow

See the show through the eyes of other artists in this interactive workshop and performance event that features unique interpretations of STC productions, beginning with a warm-up and followed by an in-depth discussion in the lobby of the Michael R. Klein Theatre.

FREE, however reservations are required. Reserve your spot today!

Amadou Kouyate is the 150th generation of the Kouyate family of Manding Diali (oral historians/musicians of West Africa) and the first generation born of his father’s lineage in America. Amadou performs a musical montage on the 21-string Kora, and rhythmic presentations on Djembe and Koutiro drums. His repertoire ranges from traditional songs from the 13th century to contemporary original compositions incorporating blues and jazz riffs. In addition to his solo work, Amadou Kouyate performs with his world rock ensemble Proper SKANKS, Amadou Kouyate Ensemble, the international duo project WEEDOU Everything! and Memory of African Culture. Amadou has worked extensively with Chuck Davis and the African American Dance Ensemble, Farafina Kan and Kankouran West African Dance Company. Some of his credits include performances at The Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, The NAMM Show, Bristol Academy and Isle of Whyte (England), Tim Festival (Brazil), Petronio Alvarez Afro-Colombian Festival (Colombia), Garvey Festival (Costa Rica), Lowell, Baltimore Rhythm Festival, East-Lansing and Dayton National Folk Festivals, Harrisonburg International Festival, Intersections Festival (DC), DanceAfrica DC, Atlanta and Chicago, with The National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, National Geographic, The Creative Alliance and the Victoria World Rhythm Festival. Amadou has worked on various film and video game scores, and has presented and lectured at over 30 colleges and university institutions worldwide. Amadou received the Maryland Start Arts Council Governor’s Citation, The Maryland Master/ Apprentice Award and other artistic awards from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Special Talents and Musical Theatre Scholarships at Howard University and Levine School of Music. In his traditional scholarship, Amadou has studied in Mali, Senegal, Guinea and The Gambia with master musicians of the Djali tradition including Djimo Kouyate and Toumani Diabate. Thus far, Amadou is having an illustrious career as both a performer and educator. He was an Adjunct Lecturer of African Music and Ethnomusicology at the University of Maryland, and director of the African Drum Ensemble, and Artist-In-Residence at Montgomery College of Rockville, and is now working at Goucher College and UMBC. Amadou an alum of the distinguished Artist In Residence program at the renowned Strathmore Music Center, and a teaching artist at the Wolftrap Organization for the Performing Arts, and continues to present to audiences around the world.

Sidney Hopson performs The Untelling – an original work for solo percussion, spoken word, and electronics. (East coast premiere)

Sidney is an active percussionist, composer, writer, arts consultant, and citizen.

A Southern California native, he has performed for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, WildUp, Los Angeles Opera, Southeast Symphony (America’s most diverse orchestra), Jacaranda Chamber Ensemble, Ensemble FIRE (NYC), and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He has performed annually at the Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston, SC) since 2011 as a member of the Festival Orchestra and as a soloist. In 2016, he made his Lincoln Center debut in the opera Paradise Interrupted by composer Huang Ruo.

Sidney has performed and recorded for a vast range of classical artists and film composers, including: John Williams, Danny Elfman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Ellen Reid, Philip Glass, John Corigliano, Kaija Saariaho, Steve Reich, Kira Fontana, and Peter Eötvös. He has also played for a range of commercial artists, including: Stevie Wonder, Rickey Minor, Mr. Craig Robinson, Rihanna, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Patti Austin, Lamont Dozier, Patrice Rushen, and Brian Wilson.

He can be seen on-screen and heard on over 100 film and television soundtracks. Recent projects include: Men In Black: International, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Castle Rock (Hulu),and Dolemite Is My Name (Netflix).

As a policy consultant, Sidney advises artists, arts institutions, and the public sector on arts-based content development, strategy, and best practices to advance social justice, cultural equity, economic growth, crime prevention, counterterrorism, climate stability, international development, and refugee aid.

The Untelling opens a window into the psyche of a young, black, classically-trained, American artist struggling to reconcile the myths of his craft with the realities of the stage. Through gripping text, a haunting soundscape, and driving rhythmic force, this work illumines the intersection of classical music, race, identity, and American life.