Native American dance troupe performs

Village Theatre’s Pied Piper program presents Native American musician and hoop dancer Kevin Locke and his Native Dance Ensemble Feb. 2 in a special performance titled “The Drum is the Thunder, the Flute is the Wind,” at the Everett Performing Arts Center.

Locke, a Lakota Indian, presents educational and entertaining shows which include historical and cultural narratives, audience participation, and humor. His Native Dance Ensemble show features a variety of dance numbers, multimedia pieces of historical compilations from Locke’s home on Standing Rock reservation, and a flute tribute to the inspiration of Native American music.

Each dance and music selection is placed in a narrative context, which gives the audience an authentic feeling as to where the music and culture come from. The performance is most commonly known for Locke’s world-renowned hoop-dance, described by the Washington Post as, “Rhythmically entrancing, visually astounding statements about the human condition with ever-shifting tableaux of twirling hoops.”

Locke last performed at the Everett Performing Arts Center for the Pied Piper school performance series in 2006 to full-capacity crowds. This year Village Theatre Pied Piper and Imagine Children’s Museum are partnering to present pre-show fun and games. Children in attendance are invited to participate in show-related activities and create arts &crafts at displays set up in the lobby of the Everett Performing Arts Center. Pre-show activities will begin at 1 p.m. for the 2 p.m. performance, and 3 p.m. for the 4 p.m. performance.

Village Theatre’s Pied Piper Presents program is dedicated to enriching the cultural lives of young people and supporting the classroom objectives of educators by bringing educational performances to students, teachers, and families in the Puget Sound area. A Programming Advisory Committee, made up of teachers, principals, administrators, and parents advise on the selection of productions and presentations for each season’s series, with the final selections being made by Village Theatre’s educational and artistic staff.