The Mande Empire was founded by the great King Sundiata Keita in the 13th century and lasted for more than 500 years. It played a unique role in the regional oral and musical traditions of West Africa. In this show students will learn about the history of this important empire while exploring a fascinating collection of traditional West African instruments including the balafon, krin, djembe, doun doun and karian. Students will connect to the captivating music and rich culture of West Africa and gain a better understanding and appreciation for the depth and variety of percussion rhythms that keep us dancing. A highly interactive and fun performance!!

This program traces the unique history of tap dancing, which dates back almost 400 years. Tap dance originated in the United States in the early 19th century at the crossroads of African and Irish American dance forms. When slave owners took away traditional African percussion instruments, enslaved people turned to percussive dancing to express themselves and preserve their cultural identities. In this program we explore Irish and West African dances, the Ring Shout (early slave dances), and dances from the masters of tap: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Eddie Brown and Leonard Reed’s Shim Sham.