SMU Page Series presents Native Dance Ensemble Oct. 12
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Page Series will present the Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble with “The Drum is the Thunder, The Flute is the Wind,” Tuesday, Oct. 12. The performance will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Page Theatre, located in the SMU Performance Center.
Representing the Plains nations of Lakota, Anishinabe, Comanche, the Southeastern tribe Choctaw, and the Woodlands Nations of Ojibwe and Oneida, this one-of-a-kind ensemble of American Indian champions and award-winning dancers offers a rich variety of American Indian traditions and aesthetics in dance, instrumentals, song, storytelling, sign language and audience interaction.
The ensemble is led by Kevin Locke, who is known throughout the world as a visionary hoop dancer; the preeminent player of the indigenous Northern Plains flute; a traditional storyteller; cultural ambassador; recording artist; and educator.
In 1990, Locke was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which recognized him as a “Master Traditional Artist who has contributed to the shaping of our artistic traditions and to preserving the cultural diversity of the United States.”
At this time, there are no tickets available for this performance. However, a limited number may be available at the SMU Box Office one hour prior to the performance. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for students and seniors.
A school matinee performance of “The Drum is the Thunder, the Flute is the Wind” is supported in part by the Winona Foundation and Arts Midwest and by the Elizabeth Callender King Foundation.
Saint Mary’s University is a fiscal year 2010 recipient of an Institutional Presenter Support grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.
Free presentation at the library
Additionally, Park Ranger Ed Lagace of the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge will present “Gathering at the Waters,” at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Winona Public Library, where he will speak about how early Native American settlers used the natural world. Refreshments and ticket give-away opportunities will be offered. The event — free and open to the public — is supported by a SELCO’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Grant.
