But it's a world that is disappearing. Last year's group dances in Mali. Accompanied by her husband, renowned native Mali dancer Seydou Coulibaly, Bach-Coulibaly is traveling with four Brown students, two alumni and several other educators to the village of Razelle, just north of the capital city of Bamako. There they'll study daily lessons in Mande dance, drumming, culture and history, and in the indigenous language of Bambara. And they'll participate in the traditional ceremonies of the people from surrounding villages - healings, mask dances, marriages, baptisms and circumcision ceremonies of the Bambara, Khassonke, Malinke, Minianke and Bobo.
Every family has a healing tree.
The group will also travel to the villages of the cliff-dwelling Dogon people, hiking 20 to 30 kilometers each day and camping out under the stars. L eta Malloy '02 made the trip with the Coulibalys last year. Sara Nolan '01 is among the students traveling as well. Before her recent departure, Nolan was excited - and ready for the challenges ahead. A decade ago she began her annual pilgrimages there, where she met Seydou.