Ghanaian Dance Guardian & Wisdom keeper now seated upon Ancestral throne

Dec. 2015 -- Adept, Stately, gracious and agile in movement and Spirit, a grand library of cultural wisdom and devotee to Dance, closes and transitions. Iba'se Baba Nii, I am forever  moved by your Grand Spirit, wisdom and Artistic excellence. 
~R. Califa, Nzo Califa Dance Works

Prof. Fransis Nii Yartey "...the recent past director of the Department of Dance Studies, University of Ghana (Legon) and the acting Director of the Ghana Dance Ensemble – passed on last week at the age of 69 -after a short illness during a national assignment in the Indian capital, New Delhi."

Dr. F. Nii Yartey transitioned Nov. 21, 2015, his final bow in Delhi, India 
leading and Africa/India Dance Summit

More about the legacy of Baba Nii here: 
http://artsghana.org/prof-f-nii-yartey-he-died-as-he-lived-a-selfless-devotee-to-dance-in-ghana/

KUSUM AFRICA , MARCH 2002 - UC Berkeley, Zellerback - Pioneering Moment
photo courtesy: Baba CK Ladzekpo, Key Collaborator of KUSUM Africa [living]

Pioneers of African Dance & Drum: Gran Kemoko Sano, Ballet Merveilles de Guinea. Malonga Casquelourd Founder/Artisitc Director, Fua Dia Congo, Nigerian Pioneer/Activist Babatunde Olantunji, CK Ladzekpo [living], the Director of the UC Berkeley African Music Program/Founder of the African Music and Dance Ensemble & Dr. F. Nii Yartey, Director, National Dance Company of Ghana. *2 men flanking names unknown
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"Kusum Africa recruited 54 artists from four dance companies based in three countries for a traditional dance narrative that took three years to prepare and ran more than 2 1/2 hours at its premiere." ~SF Gate Article, March 2002

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ARTICLES OF TRIBUTE:

• Philadelphia Dance Org - Tribute
• Ghana Showbiz