‘Coming 2 America’
Faculty member’s passion for West African dance leads to role in comedy sequel
By TOM WOOLF | USF News
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HOUGH AN ACCOMPLISHED PROFESSIONAL with more than 25 years of experience, Kyaien Conner knew she faced long odds – as in 499 other competitors. Many at USF know her as a dedicated teacher and researcher in her role as an associate professor of mental health law and policy. But Conner also has been a devoted professional West African dancer since she was 14, and serves as the artistic director of Kuumba Dancers and Drummers, a cultural mainstay in Tampa since 1980 and one of the oldest such troupes in the nation. Conner is among those who have achieved notoriety across the country for community-based work in African dance and knowledge of the culture, which is why she was among 500 people invited to audition for roles as African dancers in the Eddie Murphy comedy, “Coming 2 America,” the sequel to 1988’s “Coming to America.” Fatimah Robinson, choreographer for the sequel, and director Craig Brewer were determined to correct historical inaccuracies in the original film, so they opened the auditions to indus-
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I hope I can be a role model for students looking to carve their own path in academia that all the things they love to do, they can do.’’
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UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA
– Kyaien Conner
try dancers and community-based dancers. Only 10 women and six men would appear in the film, which was released in March on Amazon’s Prime Video. “I was so excited I was in tears when I learned I was picked to perform at the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta in front of Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Wesley Snipes and Morgan Freeman,” Conner says. What she describes as “life-changing news” didn’t sink in right away. “When I got the contract, I still didn’t believe it,” she says. “When they booked my flight to Atlanta for filming, I still didn’t believe it. I don’t think it hit me until I was on set and standing in front of my childhood icons. It was one of the most exciting times of my life.” Filming took place in October 2019 over a two-week period, half of which was spent in rehearsal, the other, on set. “We would typically arrive on set at about 7 a.m. and would be there until almost midnight each day,” she says. “Most of the time on set was spent in hair, makeup and costume and waiting to film. And we interacted with the other performers and filled the cast members with the joy of drumming and dance.” Conner was 8 years old when the original film came out. “It was incredibly exciting to be able to be in a movie that was a sequel to one that was a huge part of my childhood and young adult years,” she says. “If there was any film I was going to be a part of, this would have been my dream.” “Coming to America” was more than just a fun escape for Black movie-goers, Conner says. “Even though ‘Coming to America’ was about the fictitious African country of Zamunda, it portrayed Africans in a way we hadn’t seen before 1988,” Conner says. “Previous