Two years ago, Aboubacar “Oscar” Camara was living in Washington, D.C., and looking for a change. When his “sister,” Kadiatou Conté called and told him about Pittsburgh and the Umoja African Arts Company, where she was artistic director, Camara was easily sold. He has no regrets.

“I like Pittsburgh,” the dance instructor said. “The city has a lot of potential…great bridges, a nice zoo, a lot of beautiful parks and not too much traffic.”

He thinks the people here are nice, too.

FOLLOW THE LEADER—Elizabeth Bey and Dolores Heagy follow instructor Aborebacar Camara as he conducts a West African dance class at Dance Alloy Theater.

The Umoja African Arts Co. is part of the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy Theater.

Camara, and his “brother,” Yamoussa Camara, who accompanies him on the djembe drum, have their own company called the Guinea West African Dance Ensemble where they teach dance and drum classes, in addition to the Saturday dance classes they offer at DAT. Illness kept Yamoussa away on this day.

“As long as (DAT’s) is willing to keep inviting us back,” said his promoter Mona Statmore, who met Aboubacar Camara last October when he offered to tell her the story of his life, “we’re willing to keep coming.” So far, the arrangement has gone so well that they’ve begun talking about adding a second class. Their relationship with DAT began when Statmore suggested they add West African dance classes to their expanded repertoire of hip-hop and ballroom, among others.

Camara got the nickname “Oscar” when he was only 15. He won every stage of a dance competition, from local to international level, taking first prize in each. Shortly after that, the government of Guinea ordered him to work for them as a dancer. He performed in other West African nations such as the Ivory Coast and Senegal.

While in Senegal, he landed two parts in a movie called “La Vie Platinée” (“The Platinum Life”) about a group of dancers trying to get to Europe. Not only did he play a cabby and one of the dancers, but he was the choreographer as well. From Senegal, he came to the U.S. as part of the Mandinka epic that told the story of West Africa. He has been living here ever since.

Camara does outreach work in local schools, teaching children how to dance. No matter what age, race, economic background or religion, the children’s eyes always light up when Camara begins teaching them West African dance steps, Statmore, her own eyes dancing, said.

Well, we know where Camara and his partners, Yamoussa and Statmore are now, but where are they headed? “We want to make a big company here,” Camara said. “It would be a school like the “ballet” schools in his homeland where students learn dance, drums, singing and how to understand the language of the drums. I learned what “Mona, come here,” sounds like in drum language. Another instrument students of all ages would be able to learn is the Balafon, a resonated frame and wooden-keyed percussion instrument, similar to a xylophone.

“We could be the first city to have someone teach Balafon,” Statmore said.

(For more information about A Touch of Africa or the West African drum and dance classes, call Mona Statmore at 412-327-6446 or e-mail camar.oscar@yahoo.com.)