Children of the Rainforest:
Alyo African Dance and Drumming

Saturday, January 26

Performances at 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

            Travel to the tropics without leaving Wisconsin! Alyo African Dance and Drumming, from Chicago, is back at Olbrich Botanical Gardens once again on January 26 for Olbrich’s Children of the Rainforest series. Sixteen performers, including five drummers, bring the amazing energy of their dance, rhythm, colorful costumes, and culture to Madison. Performances are at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

 The group will perform pieces from their show Amoula Fula, which means “Wow, look how the child has grown!”  Dances include Moonlight, a social dance, from Guinea West Africa; and Kono Wolen Won - Sinte, a dance for teens from ancient Mali, accompanied by the Ade Drum Ensemble. The Ade Drum Ensemble will also feature West African Djembe & Dounou rhythms representing the folklore of ancient Mali. Part of the performance includes an Alyo Village Play and Dance time in which the audience can join in the dancing fun!

Tickets for Children of the Rainforest are $3 for adults and $2 for children ages 3 to 12.  Ages 2 and under are free.  Tickets are available at the door before each performance. After the performance, take a stroll through Madison’s own tropics, the Bolz Conservatory.

The Children of the Rainforest series celebrates the cultures of rainforest regions around the world and fosters an attitude of stewardship toward the natural environment.  The series is sponsored by William Wartmann. The next Children of the Rainforest performance will be on Saturday, February 16 and will feature Madison-based dance group Brisas del Peru.