Aguibou Bougobali SANOU
Assistant Professor in Theatre, Dance and Permance Studies - Grinnell College
www.bougobali.com / www.tamadia.com
Grants, Awards, and Residencies
2024 - Doctoral Merit Scholar Award, Texas Women's University / Denton, TX, USA
2024 - New Graduate Student Scholarship, Texas Women's University / Denton, TX, USA
2023 - Faculty Competitive Grant, Grinnell College / Grinnell, IA, USA
2021 - Artist in Residency Fellowship, Joe’s Pub / New York, NY , USA
2020 - Fellowship, The Center for Ballet and the Arts (CBA) at NYU / New York, NY, USA
2020-2022 - Student Lifetime Grant, UArts University - Philadelphia, PA, USA
2019 - Artist-in-Residence program at the Opera Village, Operndorf Afrika / Burkina Faso
2019 - BBDA National Office of Copyright Awards / Burkina Faso
2018-2019 - Fulbright Scholar Artist-in-Residence Program, Naugatuck Valley Community College / Waterbury, CT, USA
2014 - Visas for Creation, Institut Francais / Paris, France
2013 - Bronze Medal Winner, Jeux de la Francophonie / Nice, France
2013 - Visas for Creation, Institut Francais / Paris, France
2012 - 2nd Prize, National Week of Culture Competition (SNC) / Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
2012 - FACETS International Choreography Residency, Attakkalari Center / Bangalore, India
2012 - Grant for Training, French Institute and Centre Nationale de la Danse / Pantin, France
2009 - Laurel Award Winner, III Delphic Games / Jeju, South Korea
2009 - Cultural Partnership Initiative Grant, Ministry of Culture / Seoul, South Korea
Guest Artist/Lecturer at Colleges, Universities and Major Institutions
2023-present - Grinnell College / Iowa, USA
2019 - University of Saint Joseph / Connecticut, USA
2019 - Eastern Connecticut University / Connecticut, USA
2019 - Wyoming East High School / West Virginia, USA
2019 - Wyoming Westside High School / West Virginia, USA
2019 - University of Miami / Florida, USA
2019 - Lashmeet Matoaka School / West Virginia, USA
2018-2019 - Naugatuck Valley Community College / Connecticut, USA
2018 - Bennington College / Vermont, USA
2018 - 2019 - Waterbury Arts Magnet School (WAMS) / Connecticut, USA
2018 - Bluefield State College / West Virginia, USA
2018 - 2019 - Connecticut Ballet / Connecticut, USA
2017 - Princeton University / New Jersey, USA
2017 - University of the Arts / Pennsylvania, USA
2017 - University of North Carolina at Greensboro / North Carolina, USA
2017 - Elon University / North Carolina, USA
2016 - La Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) / Puebla, Mexico.
Founder of Community Events and/or Practices
2024 - Project Djatiguiya, homes and business in town of Grinnell / Grinnell, IA, USA
2014-2020 - Why Not Hope dance project, civil prison of Bobo-Dioulasso / Burkina Faso
2013-present - In-Out Dance Festival, public spaces of Bobo-Dioulasso / Burkina Faso
2012 - Grin Geant, international tea gathering for youth in Bobo-Dioulasso / Burkina Faso
International Networks
2024-Present - Community Arts Network (CAN)
2022-Present - Good Enough Transformation (GET)
2022-Present - The Festival Academy
2019-Present - Fulbrighter Network
2010-Present - Cultural Partnership Initiative
Performance Experience / Dancer and Choreographer
February 2025 - Commission to co-create the opening and closing ceremony of FESPACO, Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou / Burkina Faso
2021-2022 - “Talking to my mum”, development of dance and culinary art piece / Burkina Faso and Tunisia
2020 - Commission of Opening Performance, “Gomtiego”, of Les Récréâtrales, pan-African space for theatrical writing, creation, research and distribution / Burkina Faso
2019 - “Trust Me If I Lie”, dance piece created for Connecticut Ballet as a guest choreographer / Stamford, CT
2018 - “Tounkarague”, Naugatuck Valley Community College / Waterbury, Connecticut
2017 - “A Rebours” (Countdown), Danse en Ville Festival / Belgium, Germany, NVCC (2019)
2015 - Creation of “Let’s sing and dance instead of dying like idiots before the 3rd World War”
2014 - “Kounfetaga”, solo dance / Seoul, South Korea, Indonesia, India, France, Burkina Faso
2013 - “Errance”, piece for five dancers and four musicians / Nice, France
2011 - “Djanjo”, African Cultural Festival / Seoul,South Korea
2010 - “Anhumanus”, piece for four dancers / Bamako, Mali and Burkina Faso
2009 - “The Hopeless Penguin”, created with Taesang LEE for SIDance / Seoul, South Korea
2009 - “Color Coulor”, created for SIDance / Seoul, South Korea
2009 - “Signes et sens”, piece for five artists created for Institut Français de Tanger, Casablanca, Meknes, Fes, Tetouan, and Marrakech / Morocco
2008 - “Laada”, tale and dance solo piece created at French Cultural Centre Henri Matisse of Bobo-Dioulasso / Burkina Faso and Morocco
Theatre
2018 - “God’s Bits of Wood”, drama piece created for renowned Carrefour International de Théâtre de Ouagadougou / Burkina Faso. A huge honor to be asked to create this piece.
2009 - “Chaka ou les cheveux sauvages” with the Company LA FILLE DU PÊCHEUR. Touring in primary schools in Rillieux-La-Pape / Lyon, France
1999-2005 - “Awareness Theatre”, shows for sensitizing people to HIV/AIDS with Jeanne PULVER (Switzerland), Company Badenya (Burkina Faso) and Company Tourbillon (France) / Dioula-speaking areas in western Burkina Faso
Cinema and Television
2018 - Witness-Dancers Thieves, documentary film based on work with prisoners in Why Not Hope project (Al Jazeera TV, BBC TV)
2016 - Africa’s Got Talent (semi-finalist)
2011 - Voice of “Zak,” animation movie (CINOMADE PROD)
2007 - Hello by Michael FRANTI (Great Britain), a video realized by Manivelle Productions (Burkina Faso)
2006 - Mokili, a movie by Berni GOLBLAT, 2nd role
2005 - Au nouveau royaume d’Abou, a TV movie by Issa Traoré de Brahima, 2nd role
2004 - Ouaga Saga, a movie by Dani Kouyaté, 1st role
2006 - Voice off for comic strip (TV commercials, generic drug)
2005 - Voice stand-in for a radio (awareness campaign on AIDS)
Education
2022 - MFA in Dance, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2019 - Honorary degree of Associates in Arts from Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury, CT
2012 - Training at National Center of Dance - Centre National de danse (Pantin - France)
2005 – 2009 - Workshops with Carolyn CARLSON (United States/France), Mark TOMPKINS (United States/France), Martin GRAVITZ (United States/France), Vincent MANTSOE (South Africa), Salia SANOU and Seydou BORO (Burkina Faso), Sidi GRAOUI (France)
2003-2006 Training called “VOYAGE”, based on the techniques taught by Jacques LECOQ, given by Luca G. M. FUSI from Italy. Training given by Amadou BOUROU, actor and producer (Company Feeren, Burkina Faso), Choreographic Development Centre in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso and in Morocco.
2001-2002 - Course in computer science, administration and communication at Lycée Professionnel of Bobo-Dioulasso
2000 - Basic studies degree (Bamako, Mali)
1990 - 1997 Primary school degree
Skills
Dance and choreography (West African Mandingo traditional dances and contemporary dance)
Capoeira
Musicals
West African Mandingo Telling stories and dances history
Basic story writing
Knowledge of West African Mandingo traditional animism, spiritualities practices and hunting techniques Musical instruments: Tumba, Bolon, Tamani, Capoeira musical instruments.
Spoken languages: Bambara, Dioula, French, English