Updated: Mama Yeye: Photos, video memories of her visit

HANCOCK -- Today, March 8, is International Women's Day 2009. In honor of women all over the world who seek to make the earth a better place, Keweenaw Now would like to celebrate the recent visit of Mama Yeye -- dancer, choreographer, playwright and teacher -- who danced with us and shared her love of African rhythms, spirituality and storytelling through her presentations and workshops.

During a workshop on Afro-Caribbean dance at Michigan Tech on March 3, Mama Yeye explains the West African Djun Djun drum with its Agogo bell. Musician Ashok Agarrwal, right, of Calumet, played this drum during the workshop, held in the McArdle Theatre on the MTU campus. At left is workshop participant Liz Johnson of Copper Harbor. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © 2009 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Mama Yeye leads workshop participants in an Afro-Caribbean dance. Joining Ashok Agarrwal in the percussion group are musicians Matt Bradley of Calumet on the West African Djembe and Lucas Lago of Argentina on Conga drums. Dancers in this video include Nancy Sprague, foreground, and Patricia Helsel, background. (Video clips © 2009 Michele Bourdieu)

Mama Yeye demonstrates a homemade African percussion instrument, the Sekere (shay-ka-ray), made from a gourd or calabash. Pictured here are workshop participants, from left, Liz Johnson, Len Novak and Nancy Sprague. (Photo © 2009 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Playing the Sekere, Mama Yeye joins the percussionists as workshop participants do a final dance, with a bow of homage to the musicians.

Mama Yeye gives instruction in African Dance Wednesday, Mar. 4, in MTU's McArdle Theatre. (Photo © 2009 Patricia Helsel)

Mama Yeye, right, leads participants in energetic African dance movements. (Photo © 2009 Patricia Helsel)

Read more about Mama Yeye's visit to Michigan Tech in the March 5 issue of Tech Today.

Thanks again, Mama Yeye! Thanks also to MTU's Visiting Women and Minority Scholar Series, Institutional Diversity and Visual and Performing Arts for sponsoring Mama Yeye's visit.

To learn about International Women's Day, visit their Web site.