Umfundalai: Contemporary African Dance

Tyler Ross

Umfundalai is a contemporary African dance technique that comprises its movement vocabulary from dance traditions throughout the Diaspora. The literal word, Umfundalai, means “essence” or “essential” in Kiswahili. Much like the late Katherine Dunham, Kariamu Welsh, Umfundalai’s progenitor, has designed a stylized movement practice that seeks to articulate an essence of African – oriented movement or as she describes, “an approach to movement that is wholistic, body centric and organic.” Umfundalai technique caters to all diverse ages, dance and cultural backgrounds.

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Tyler Ross is a movement artist, choreographer, and dance instructor from PG County MD. Ross holds a BFA in Dance Education from Temple University Boyer College of Music and Dance. Within her time at Temple University, Tyler joined D2D: Dare to Dance and transitioned from Event Coordinator to President of the dance organization. In the past few years, she has been a company member to Laura Edwards Dance Company (LED), MOTUS Company with Diana Matos, Ladies of Redemption, MoDance Work with Monique Walker, and Kariamu &Company: Traditions. Continuing to educate the next generation of artists, she is a dance educator for prestigious Institutions such as the Dance Institute of Washington and the Washington Ballet. Ross holds a M’Singha Wuti Instructor certification for the Umfundalai African Dance Technique. Tyler is among the last generation of dancers to study under the direct teachings of Dr. Kariamu Welsh. Honoring this privilege, Ross is currently pursuing her Professional Certification within the Umfundalai Technique.