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African rhythms dance into Medford Photo by Bob Pennell Members of the Northwest Afrikan American Ballet perform traditional dances for Washington Elementary School students Monday. The troupe's weeklong visit to the Rogue Valley includes a public performance Wednesday in Ashland. Portland-based troupe delights students By VICKI GUARINO The week got off to a rousing start for hundreds of young Medford students Monday with the arrival of the Northwest Afrikan American Ballet. If you go What : Northwest Afrikan American Ballet public performance. When : 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Where : Music Recital Hall, Southern Oregon University, Ashland. Tickets : $12, $10 for students, at the door. Drummers drowned out students' yells in the Washington Elementary School gym, and energetic dancers captivated the young audience. The performance was rooted in traditional African culture. The rhythms and the acrobatics of the Portland-based group took Washington third-grader Kristina Martin by surprise. "I expected it to be like the real ballet," Kristina said. No violins and lithe dancers on pointe here -- not that Kristina was disappointed. Next to her on the gym floor, classmate Martin VanDyke clapped his hands and snapped his fingers to keep the beat. "I liked the drums best," Martin said. Drums made the music for dancers. And routines of daily life, from harvests to family celebrations, were the inspiration for the dance, said lead drummer Bruce Smith. Smith, the artistic director of Northwest Afrikan American Ballet, told students how even the ordinary, like sowing seed, is transformed into dance. The "Gumboot Dance," for instance, a favorite among Washington students, recreates the stepping routines of South African diamond miners on their long walks into the deep mines. That dance has become the Northwest Afrikan American Ballet's signature piece, demonstrating a historic foundation of modern dance. The company's appearance at Washington and Lone Pine elementary schools leads off a week of visits to schools around Southern Oregon. Dancers are performing in Ashland schools today and will continue on to Grants Pass and Roseburg. A public performance, on a larger scale than the school shows, will be Wednesday at Southern Oregon University. The group's tour is part of its educational outreach effort. Through lecture as well as dance, the ballet works to raise awareness of the richness and diversity of African culture. At Washington, Smith took time out to describe the meanings behind the dance steps as well as the workings of the group's exotic-looking drums. The ballet was founded in 1982 by Smith. The company's original choreography is inspired by the traditional dances of Senegal, Gambia, Mali and Guinea. Smith organized the group after spending five summers studying and researching music and dance in African countries. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA