Our Founders

Al Taw’am (The twins) is an multimodal dance ensemble composed of twin sisters Umi IMAN & Khadijah Siferllah. As Black American, Tsalgi Native-American, Muslim, Women, they sit proudly at the intersections of many divine linages and communities. They are practitioners of various dances of the African diaspora. They define dance as the creative expression of story and E(motions) and use their platform with the intention to honor who they are, where they come from, and their legacy that will succeed them. 

They have outstanding experience sharing their artistry across many platforms . The’ve worked with many global communities and organizations such as I.M.A.N in Atlanta/Chicago, SpringBoard for the Arts in MN, Each One Teach ONE in Berlin, Words Beats and Life in Washington D.C., and many others. Their industry experience includes being season one contestants of World of Dance NBC; created by Jennifer Lopez. Their experience with dance as a means for community building and activism includes performing in spaces such as The Facing Race Conference, The Nobel Peace Prize Forum, How We Heal curated by Dejajoelle, and the MN Secretary of State’s 50th Voter’s Rights Act Celebration. They’ve been guest teachers and/or speakers in many academic spaces such as the University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Minnesota, Emory University, Spelman College, Yale University, and Harvard University. They believe all the spaces in which they share their expression doesn’t define their art, though it enriches their perspective of community and their role within it.

Al Taw’am is committed to nurturing Black and Indigenous dance as a means for expression, healing, and community building. They attribute their success firstly to the most high, and secondly to family and community. They are currently investing their efforts in expanding Al Taw’am’s impact and cultivating their new community organization Sequoia Ascension, created with the intention to cultivate the wellbeing of Atlanta’s Black American & Native American communities through movement and healing.