International Dance Festival Feb. 19 Showcases Multicultural Talent
Contacts: Sarah Joughin, 581-3423
ORONO – The University of Maine’s seventh annual International Dance Festival, showcasing the traditional music, dance and costumes of some of the 400 international students at UMaine is set for Saturday, Feb. 19, 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.
“We have a very colorful line up this year with a number of new countries represented,” says Sarah Joughin, international student scholar advisor in the Office of International Programs.
Students will perform traditional dances from India, Africa, Vietnam, Brazil, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States. Joughin says students have been practicing capoeira, belly dance, swing and many others styles of dance, and the performance will include a Bollywood finale. Students from about 75 countries attend UMaine.
The production involves about 100 dancers, technical staff and coordinators, and attracts nearly 2,000 people from UMaine and throughout the state.
The dance festival is free and organized by the Office of International Programs and the International Student Association, with additional financial support from UMaine’s Division of Student Affairs, Student Government, Residents on Campus and the Cultural Affairs/Distinguished Lecture Series.
Information about the dance festival is available by calling the Office of International Programs at 581-2905.