The evening's "Precious Drop" dance performance at CounterPulse on Saturday, February 4 was centered around the theme of water -- which is becoming a controversial topic as issues of water rights become more muddled. Most of the dances, performed by Mohamed Lamine Bangoura, the Jaara Dance Project, and Bu Falle African Drum and Dance, focused on celebrating Mami Wata and her fickle ability to pour down from the sky to provide precious drops of life. The choreography onstage mixed traditional and modern moves, performed by talented dancers from across the globe whose smiles filled the space with a joy that you could feel, even sitting in the audience.

Live musicians provided a background of fertile beats on a variety of drums and marimbas, and they also sang, making for a wonderful show. Their efforts were rewarded -- both nights were sold out the space, with happy dance fans sitting on the floor and standing in the hallway to get a glimpse of the wetness onstage. The piece was a work-in-progress, so keep your ears perked (follow the drum beat!) for future performances.

A 2011 Jaara dance performance