“Shake, rattle, and roll” doesn’t just apply to Elvis and rock and roll. The Different Drummer Belly Dancers of Indiana and now Mississippi, have their own version, too.
The troupe will appear at a dance exhibition Friday, April 23, at 3 p.m. on the Quadrangle at Delta State University. The event is sponsored by the Delta State University Special Programs Committee as a part of the fifth annual Arts in April celebration.
Although Belly Dancing has its roots in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, some of those roots have recently been planted in the central Mississippi Delta by Dr. Teri Herron, assistant professor of voice at Delta State, who is a member of the three-woman Different Drummer dance group.
While a graduate student at Indiana University, she became associated with Margaret Lion and Jeana Jorgensen, who dance in the American Tribal tradition to be demonstrated and explained at the exhibition. Shortly after arriving at Delta State, Herron initiated a belly dancing class, which has grown in popularity and offerings. Those area belly dancers will be able to attend a workshop with the Different Drummer dancers on Saturday morning, as well.
Audience members at Friday’s event will have the opportunity to try out some of the dance moves, as crowd participation will be encouraged, as well as treat themselves to some Middle Eastern refreshments prepared by students from the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences at Delta State.
The public and the campus community are invited to attend this free event. Bad weather will move the venue to the Wright Art Center Gallery located on the east side of the Quadrangle.
For more information, contact Dr. Mark Butler, professor of music, and chair of the Delta State University Special Programs at (662) 846-4619.
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