Idris Daniel is an accomplished drummer and dancer born into a vibrant arts community on the southside of Chicago. He developed a love for many styles of African dance and music as a child while watching his family perform with many dance companies throughout the city. In 1992 at the young age of 10 years old Idris became a founding member of SPIRITS S.O.A., a rights of passage training program for young men. SPIRITS S.O.A. gives young men tools needed to navigate through life by introducing them to traditional and spiritual West African practices. While training with SPIRITS S.O.A., he mastered the sacred west African masquerade and stilt walking technique, and now teaches the techniques to other young men. He was a principal drummer for Sundance Productions at 12 years old. While studying and learning how to play many traditional West African instruments he also learned how to repair and build the instruments as well. His passion and skill sets have awarded him many opportunities to begin traveling at a young age with various professional performers in the country. He began studying with Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago under the leadership of world renowned director Amaniyea Payne in 1997. Through Muntu he began working with After School Matters, Gallery 37, and other organizations teaching the youth in inner city schools. For the last ten years he has been teaching at Libby Elementary School and now partners with Changing World doing seminars and teaching inner city youth. Over the last 20 years Idris has expanded his studies of various forms of traditional music from the African diaspora. Idris travels to Brazil, Senegal, Gambia, Colombia, Cuba, Barbados, and Mexico frequently to train, study, and constantly immerse himself in the culture. He currently serves as the Associate Artistic Director of Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. His desire is to educate and enlighten children in the Chicago inner city by exposing them to the many contributions that people of the African diaspora have made to the world through dance, music, and other art forms.