On this adventure through West and Central Africa (following that continent's third largest river, the Niger), experience some of the dancing, drumming and singing that serve as primary forms of cultural expression and community connection. You will be introduced to the practices of the griot (storyteller/historian), talking drums, and learn dances relating to issues of food and famine, war and peace, and the origins of the world. Along the journey, we travel through the half dozen countries that the Niger flows through, and include stops at Timbuktu to learn about the ancient empires of Mali, and in Nigeria to encounter the Yoruba people in their religious practices. There is no better way to appreciate the life and history of a land and its people than to sample their traditional expressions and unique ways of knowing themselves!

View a sample video of "Dance Around the World" programing.