UMaine’s 2012 International Dance Festival Set for Feb. 18

The University of Maine’s eighth annual International Dance Festival, showcasing an array of traditional music, dance and costumes of some of the 400 international students at UMaine is set for Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Collins Center for the Arts.

Two free performances of dances from around the world are scheduled at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Doors open one hour before show time.

Students will perform traditional dances from India, Africa, Vietnam, Brazil, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States, says Sarah Joughin, international student and scholar advisor in the Office of International Programs. Students have been practicing capoeira, Bollywood, swing and many others styles of dance in anticipation of the dance festival. Students from about 75 countries attend UMaine.

Joughin says international students look forward each year to showcasing their traditional cultures through the annual event. It is an opportunity for American and international students alike to connect meaningfully with individuals from outside their home countries, she says.

“The Bollywood number, for example, features performers from at least three different countries besides India,” Joughin says. “Marija Markicevic, an exchange student from Serbia, will make her dancing debut as a member of the Hip Hop Club, representing the U.S..”

Student performers benefit greatly from the cross-cultural exchange, Joughin adds, “but the big pay-off is to the audience. This event is an amazing opportunity for campus and community members of all ages to experience the sights and sounds of over a dozen countries in one night. Where else in Maine is such an opportunity available?”

The dance festival is free and organized by the Office of International Programs (http://umaine.edu/international/) and the International Student Association. Information about the dance festival is available by calling the Office of International Programs at 581-2905.

Contact: Sarah Joughin, 581-3423