Ballet Warraba: A ballet of a different sort

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Ballet Warraba, an international dance company that performs African “ballet” will hit the stage at the Diana Wortham in downtown Ashvegas tonight and tomorrow. Check out their web site.

Those of us who dropped by Fair Trade Day at Pritchard Park over the weekend got a preview. The drummer jams. For a drummin’ town like Ashvegas, they fit right in.

MountainX readers named them “best dance group a couple of years ago. Here’s what they said:

Chances are, when somebody mentions ballet, the first things you think of are tutus, classical music, and women standing on their toes while pretending to be swans or snowflakes. Perhaps the last thing the word “ballet” would summon up in your mind is the tiny West African nation of Guinea. But if Mountain Xpress readers have their way, this may soon change. With its dramatic blend of spirited African dance, intensely performed traditional music, and vibrant costumes, Ballet Warraba has made its presence known on the local dance circuit. Substituting the thumping of djembes for orchestral string sections and bare feet for pink ballet shoes, the members of Ballet Warraba are slowly redefining dance in the minds of Mountain Xpress readers. – SS