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Sylvia Soumah’s (founder and artistic director of Coyaba) formal training began in Cincinnati, Ohio where she majored in modern dance and vocal music with various modern, jazz and vocal instructors at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. In those early years, Soumah performed with the Cincinnati Opera in productions such as C²¹°ù³¾±ð²Ô, Show Boat, and Amahl and the Night Visitors, and in musical theater productions such as The Music Man, Guys & Dolls, and The Wiz at the National Theater in Washington, D.C. Further studies in modern dance and creative movement led Ms. Soumah to expand her interest to early childhood education at the University of Cincinnati. 

In 1986 she moved to Washington, D.C. to focus her skills in modern dance under the direction of Carla Perlo, Carla & Company, where she was exposed to many choreographers including Lesa McLaughlin, Nancy Havlik, Debra Riley, and Alvin Mayes. During this time, Sylvia Soumah also performed with Improvisation Unlimited at the University of Maryland under the direction of Mim Rosen. In 1992, she began her extensive study of West African dance under the tutelage of Aidoo Holmes, founder/artistic director of Wose Dance Theater, and with this company Soumah not only learned the importance of the African dance technique and solo performance, but she also learned to drum and sing as well. 

In 2015 she was awarded the Pola Nirenska Award for outstanding contributions to the field of dance and education.  

Soumah has collaborated with Daniel Burkhoder (My Ocean is Never Blue), StepAfrika, Kingsman Island Festival (D.C.), Usuthu Arts Productions (South Africa), Salamata from Ghana, West Africa, Jessica Phillips Silver (Finding Rhythm! The Journey Through The Musical Brain, 2020), and Inspired Child (educational music video, “A to Z This is MY DC”), and was the co-choreographer/performer with the What’s Going On touring company under the direction of Vincent Thomas.