A simb is a traditional Senegalese fake lion spectacle, or Senegalese lion dance. The origins of the simb come from a legend in which a person had been raised by a lion or bitten by a lion, thus possessing the spirit of the lion. In order to cure the person, drummers would play certain rhythms to transform the person back to his original state, in a way "taming" the lion's spirit through music.

In Senegal, the simb has grown into a form of popular entertainment involving drumming, dance, theater, comedy, and audience participation. The main characters include a big lion, two or more smaller lions, and the lions' wives, played by transvestite dancers. The lions dance and run around, scaring and catching audience members and making them perform silly acts.

Pape Ndiaye has had a long and successful career as a dancer in Senegal, touring throughout Africa and around the world. Since 1989, he has danced with numerous world-renowned companies, including the Ballet National du Senegal, Cinquihme Dimension, Compagnie Jant Bi, Ballet Sino Mew, Forjt Sacri, Sotiba Boys, and the Manhattan Dance School. He has extensive training in all styles of traditional West African dance as well as in modern dance.

Sponsored by Rambax MIT, MIT Dance Theater Ensemble, Music & Theater Arts Section, Office of the Arts Special Programs, and the DeFlorez Fund for Humor