DePauw to host National Dance Theater of Nigeria

Members of the National Dance Troupe of Nigeria, headed to DePauw Sept. 3.

The National Dance Troupe of Nigeria brings its collective talents to the campus of DePauw University next Monday, Sept. 3, for a free performance.

The program begins at 7:30 p.m. in Meharry Hall of historic East College, and is presented by DePauw's Performing Arts Series.

Comprised of nearly 30 dancers, drummers and actors, the National Dance Troupe performs ritual dance theatre which embodies an ancestral past in which Nigerian deities, human spirits, plants, animals and elemental forces co-exist and interact in traditional dramatic and comedic stories.

The troupe's performances are filled with loud, colorful spectacle, utilizing vibrant masks, costumes, drumming, song and chants to explore everyday and sacred beliefs found in Nigerian culture.

Under the direction of Dr. Ahmed Yerima, the National Dance Troupe of Nigeria, a division of the National Theatre of Nigeria, is on a brief but intensive goodwill tour of the U.S., which will include stops at numerous Midwestern colleges and universities and will conclude with performances in Texas and New York.

For more information on the concert call 658-4689.