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African/African-American Culture: Kou Kou

Resource for Grades 5-12

African/African-American Culture: Kou Kou

Media Type:
Video

Running Time: 3m 20s
Size: 9.3 MB

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Resource Produced by:

KET

Collection Developed by:

KET

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Moha Dosso, a professional stilt dancer and musician from the Mahouka tribe in Cote D’Ivoire, West Africa, performs the Kou-Kou dance from the Ivory Coast.

Kou-Kou is a communal recreational dance, often used to teach kids how to dance and be happy. Moha Dosso performs with the Kyene Drum Ensemble of Louisville, Ky.

Find additional arts resources for your classroom at the KET Arts Toolkit website.

open Background Essay

Moha Dosso was born in Côte d’Ivoire. He is a drummer, singer, and choreographer who has performed with and coached several dance troupes in Ivory Coast. He is also a tailor, specializing in costume design. He is one of a very few acrobat stilt walkers and fire dancers performing in the United States. He shares this about the dances of the Côte d’Ivoire:

"The Kou Kou dance is a social dance, just for fun, to help teach children the basics of African dance. We can do that type of dance any time, in the village or the big city. And it’s not just adults—kids do these dances and old people, too."

Dosso says there are only three dancers from the Mahouka people in the U.S. right now—his uncle Vado Diomande in New York; his cousin Sogbety Diomande in Mansfield, Ohio; and Dosso, who lives in Cincinnati.


open Discussion Questions

  • What did you think of the costumes the dancer wore? Can you imagine what it be like to see him coming toward you in your village? Did it remind you of anything you have seen before?
  • In the Kou-Kou dance, Dosso did the dance moves in slow motion to teach others how to do them. Do you know of any dances or games where movement is taught to others? Brainstorm of list of songs and dances that teach movement.

  • open Teaching Tips

  • Using other video segments in this collection and the KET Dance Arts Toolkit 2nd Edition, compare the Ivory Coast dances to other African dances.
  • Have students learn the moves of the Kou Kou and dance along.
  • Cote D’Ivoire is home to many ethnic groups and has a long and a fascinating history. Once a model of stability, it has been plagued with internal strife since an armed rebellion divided the country in 2002. Research the history of the country, and examine life there now. Ask the question “What role do dance and music play in their contemporary world?”

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