Hawa Kouyaté

Hawa Kouyaté was born in Bamako, Mali. From 1984 to 2000, she was Prima Ballerina of the National Ballet of Mali, touring internationally during that period with the contemporary dance performance “Antigone” alongside Mathilde Monnier and Moussoumani Bolokoli in a work against sexual abuse. At the same time, she performed with the Ensemble Chorégraphique de Bamako, choreographed and sang with the Groupe Dramatique du Mali, and won Mali’s national artistic competition, the Artistique Biennale.

Since 2002, Hawa has devoted herself to teaching traditional Malian dances and sharing her rich cultural heritage through workshops and classes in France and around the world. She is a remarkable dancer and an empathetic teacher—a living legend of dance and a woman actively fighting alongside other women. Her teaching method is unique and carefully adapted to participants and dancers of all levels and abilities. By breaking down each movement, she facilitates learning, allowing everyone to understand the steps, experiment, go deeper, and connect with the legendary repertoire of Malian dance.