Asadata Dafora. (Photograph by Eileen Darby; from the archives of Jacob's Pillow, Becket, Massachusetts; used by permission.)

Asadata Dafora (1890-1965) came to the United States from Sierra Leone and in 1929 formed Shogola Oloba (Dancers and Singers) to present dance dramas based on West African myth and lore. He was the first artist who attempted to present authentic African forms—virtually unknown at the time—outside a tribal setting. His 1934 production of Kykunkor (The Witch Woman) enjoyed sixty-five sold-out performances in New York. Dafora also created the dance dramas Zunga and Zungure and was co-author, with Orson Welles, of the radio play Trangama-Fanga. Under WPA auspices, his company became the Federal Theater African Dance Troupe. With Welles and John Houseman, he collaborated on the Federal Theater production of Macbeth set in Haiti and choreographed the Vodun Witches. Dafora excelled as a singer, composer, dancer, choreographer, and writer, instilling black musicians and dancers with pride and appreciation for the African heritage. As a result of Dafora's work, artists such as Pearl Primus were inspired to incorporate African elements in choreography and performance.