Carolina Productions hosts Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble
It was a family affair in the Russell House Ballroom Tuesday night.
The Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble, a troupe of U.S.-based performers headed by husband-and-wife co-founders, took to the stage in traditional West African dress at an event hosted by Carolina Productions. The group includes members as young as 2 and as old as 75, said Wanda Dickerson, one of the founders.
The young dancers and corps of drummers (accompanied by a kora, which is a 21-string bridge harp) were recreating traditional dances and songs — of celebration, flirtation and maturation — that represented West African culture, Dickerson said.
“We believe that it doesn’t matter what race, creed or color you are,” Dickerson said. “You have a culture, and you should not be afraid to celebrate that culture. It makes you who you are.”