About Tara
Tara Murphy is originally from Washington, D.C., and grew up studying ballet and theater. She earned her B.A. in theater and religious studies at Yale University, where she also began studying African dance. At this time Tara began exploring her African heritage through African studies at Yale, and was awarded a fellowship to study traditional dance and drumming at the University of Legon in Ghana, West Africa. Since then she has studied with many African and Afro-Caribbean teachers in Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston. Her primary mentors have been Joh Camara and Seydou Coulibaly of Mali; Fatou N’Diaye, Astou Sagna and Pape N'Diaye of Senegal; Mohamed Kamara of Guinea; and Jean Appolon and Wilmayer Marcelin of Haiti.

Tara has danced with a variety of companies and performed throughout the U.S. as well as around the world. Some dance companies include Fantezi Kreyol, a traditional Haitian dance company; Akhra, a contemporary world dance and music ensemble; Navarasa Dance Theater, performing African, modern and classical Indian dance. Tara has also worked with renowned choreographers Wyoma, Jean Appolon, Vincent Mantsoe, Manuel St. Cyr and Juson Williams. In addition to her African dance focus, Tara has also studied Indian classical dance extensively, as well as hip hop, jazz, modern dance, Middle Eastern dance and flamenco. She has also studied and practiced yoga, meditation and the healing arts since she was a child.