Nearly a dozen world-class Congolese performing artists will be traveling to Pike (Sierra County) from Paris, France, New York and the San Francisco Bay area to teach a 10-day workshop that includes Congolese dance, drumming and vocal instruction.

Dance teachers and local participants in the camp will be accompanied by the powerful rhythms of the Ngoma, which are very large, powerful drums played in the standing position, traditionally made from a single hollowed-out log.

"It is a rare and wonderful opportunity for Sierra residents to participate in an extraordinarily high caliber of African song, dance and drum instruction," said Regine Ndounda, a master dancer and a member of the Congolese Dance & Drum Workshop board. "This is a celebration of Congolese art and culture."

The event is sponsored by the California-based Congolese Dance and Drum Workshop, a 30-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of Congolese culture.

All the Congolese Dance & Drum workshop classes will be held in the classrooms and gymnasium of the Pliocene Ridge School on Ridge Road in Pike. No prior registration is required, although discounted tuition is available before July 10.

Further registration and fee details may be found at www.congorhythms.org.

- Special to The Union