Aku Kadogo

Aku Kadogo is a choreographer, director, actress, and educator. She was one of the original cast members of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, and Snap Jordan in Lift Off. She has educated and performed in Australia, Senegal, Cuba, Brazil, and Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Early Life

Born Karen Vest, Aku Kadogo grew up in Detroit, Illinois. She attended Cass Technical High School , specializing in their Performing Arts Department from 1969-1972. Unimpressed with her high school department, she enrolled in a program at the defunct Concept East Theatre during her last year of high school. It was there that she got her first acting role. Her first professional performance was of Sonia Sanchez's "Sister Sonji".

Kadogo's parents, Don and Hilda Vest, were activists and performers. As a young girl, Kadogo's mother encouraged her participation in demonstrations against the Vietnam War, and both parents often took her to cultural events throughout the city.

The name "Aku," meaning "Wednesday born" originates from Ghana's Ewe language. Her last name, "Kadogo" is derived from Swahili. It means "small beautiful one."

For Colored Girls

Kadogo attended New York University from 1972-1976 upon graduating from high school. During her last year at NYU, she met Ntozake Shange and Paula Moss at Dianne McIntyre's Sounds in Motion Dance Studio. She was chosen to perform as the "Lady in Yellow" in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Some of the most notable original cast members that performed with Kadogo were Lynn Whitfield and Alfre Woodard.

After a final performance in Adelaide, South Australia, Kadogo and the other original cast members parted ways. She decided to stay upon falling in love with an Australian, and lived there for about 20 years.

Teaching

In a 2005 visit back home, Kadogo was offered the position of director for the Black Theatre Program at Wayne State University. She served in that capacity from 2006-2011. After leaving Wayne State, she was appointed as Visiting Professor at Yong In University in Seoul, South Korea.

In 2014, Kadogo was named Spelman College William and Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professor in the Arts. She currently serves as the Chair for the Department of Theatre and Performance at Spelman College.

Kadogo has developed a teaching philosophy called "rhythm science." Created during her time in Australia, it argues the similarity of musical breaks across all musical genres. She created the technique to help her students better understand rhythm and movement.

Productions

Salt City (based on the Choreopoem by Jessica Care Moore)