Aguibou Bougobali SANOU

Sanou hails from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and is a dancer, choreographer, musician, storyteller, and director of the In-Out Dance Festival in Burkina Faso. He is a winner of the highly selective and prestigious U.S. State Department Scholarship Fulbright 2018–2019 where he taught "History and Appreciation of World Dance". He has also developed the African Traditional and Contemporary Dance curriculum at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT. In 2016, he was a semi-finalist of Africa’s Got Talent. Sanou trained with choreographers and theater directors such as Salia Sanou, Carolyn Carlson, Thierry de Mey, Luca Fusi GM and Régine Chopinot Alexandre de la Caffinière.

Sanou's work is a mix of West African Mandingo traditional dances, Brazilian capoeira, and theater expressions drawn from his work with influential European stage directors. His training in sacred and profane African traditional dance in his native country combines with other forms of expression to create a unique theatrical statement. Aguibou received his Master in Fine Arts from The University of the Arts (UARTS) Philadelphia. He has won several choreographic awards including the bronze medal in the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie in Nice, France; 2nd prize of SNC 2012; and Delphic Laurel Award in the 2009 Delphic Games in South Korea.

In the past ten years, Sanou has developed a dynamic performance and teaching presence which has led him to work assignments in Mexico, Israel, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Morocco, France, and the United States. He has also created a dance program in a prison in Burkina Faso and has worked with more than 70 prisoners in order to help them reenter society. Sanou was a visiting faculty member at Bennington for fall 2022.

Classes Taught at Grinnell

Movement for the Performer
Choreography
Dance Ensemble

Tutorial Title: Ma-ya Blon - At the vestibule of humanity

Grants and Awards

2021 - Joe’s Pub Artist in Residency Fellowship - New York/USA
2020 - The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University (CBA) Fellowship - New York/USA
2019 - Operdorf village Opera Artist in Residency Fellowship Germany-Burkina Faso
2019 - National Office of Copyright Awards - Burkina Faso
2020-2022 - Student Lifetime Grant - UArts University - Philadelphia/USA
2018-2019 - Fulbright Awards of Artist in Residency - U.S States Department/USA
2014 Visa pour la creation Grant winner - Paris/France
2013 - Bronze medal winner Francophonie game - Nice/France
2013 - Visa pour la création French Institute - Paris/France
2012 - 2nd Price National Week of Culture Competition (SNC) - Burkina Faso
2012 - Facets 16 World young Choreographers - Attakkalari Center - Bangalore India
2012 - Grant for training French Institute and Centre Nationale de Danse - Pantin/France
2009 - Jeju 3rd Delphic’s Laurel Award Winner - Jeju/South Korea
2009 - Cultural Partnership Initiative Grant - Ministry of Culture - Seoul/ South Korea
Guest Artist/ Guest Lecturer Colleges, Universities and major institutions
2019 - Saint Joseph Eastern University, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
2019 - Eastern Connecticut University, Connecticut, USA
2019 - Wyoming East High School, USA
2019 - Wyoming Westside High School, USA
2019 - University of Miami, Florida, USA
2019 - Lashmeet Matoaka School, USA
2018-2019 - Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury, Connecticut USA
2018 - Bennington College Vermont USA
2018 - 2019 WAMS (Waterbury Arts Magnets School) USA
2018 - Bluefield State College West Virginia, USA
2018 - 2019 Connecticut Ballet, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
2017 - Princeton University, New Jersey, USA
2017 - The university of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
2017 - University North Carolina Greensboro USA
2017 - Elon University, North Carolina, USA
2016 - Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico
Founder of Community Events and/or Practices
2014 - 2020 Development of dance Program in civil prison of Bobo-Dioulasso ( Burkina Faso)
2013 - In-Out Dance Festival (International Dance Gathering in Public Spaces of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
2012 - Grin Geant (International tea gathering for youth in order to improve leadership skills)