Profile

For over two decades, Cornell "Sugarfoot" Coley, M.Ed has expressed his interest in, and commitment to, Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music and dance traditions through several paths: as a performer in dance and drums; as a founder and leader of musical groups; as a teacher; and as a developer of educational curriculum focusing on the arts.

Background and Education

Earning the name "Sugarfoot" through his dancing ability, Cornell Coley was born in Kingston, Jamaica of Cuban and Jamaican parents. His family immigrated to Boston when he was four years old and he began studying drums five years later. While an undergraduate at Tufts University, he started his dance career during a visit to Ghana. After earning his B.A. in English at Tufts, Mr. Coley subsequently studied cultural anthropology at UCLA and graduated with a Masters in Education from Cambridge College.

Teaching and Educational Experience

Mr. Coley has extensive experience teaching about African-Latin dance, music, and culture at all levels, from K-12 through university as well as with community groups. He has been a lecturer in African Diaspora Drumming, Dance and Culture at Smith College and Tufts University and has guest lectured at major colleges, cultural programs, and arts festivals throughout the Northeast and in Jamaica. He also has served as an artist-in-residence at in public and private schools and community centers. In 1994, he wrote the first draft of the arts curriculum framework for the Massachusetts Department of Education. He currently conducts a series of workshops and residencies on the culture of the African-American diaspora.

Performances

Alongside his educational ventures, Mr. Coley is an active and seasoned performer in Afro-latin music and dance. As a musician (with the motto "Have Drums, Will Travel"), he plays the drum kit, timbales, congas, bongos, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian percussion, and carnival drums. As a dancer, whether individually or in a group, his specialties include Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, Congolese, Ghanaian, rhythm tap, and salsa. He has performed at festivals throughout the United States as well as internationally, including tours with the "Bodytjak" Indonesian-American ensemble and the "Uclatino" band.

Music Ventures

Mr. Coley has founded several music groups and related ventures, many of which foster community development through the arts. He has produced several concerts and special events involving local and international artists, a "Dance and Drums" video talk show for local cable television. The founder of the "Women in Latin Jazz Festival" and the "Saoco" Afro-Latin Ensemble, his current musical venture is the Boston-based Afro-Latin jazz band, The Sugarfoot Band.

Other Activities

In addition to his educational ventures and performing, Mr. Coley consults in programming, fundraising, and resource development for select clients, including the Spontaneous Celebrations Community Center.
View Cornell Coley's resume in
Acrobat PDF format.