UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.— For almost 30 years, Brazilian dance company Balé Folclórico da Bahia has been devoted to celebrating the heritage of its region’s indigenous, African and post-colonial cultures. The company comes to Penn State on its eighth world tour with “Bahia of All Colors” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, in Eisenhower Auditorium on the University Park campus of Penn State.

Brazil’s only professional folk dance company is made up of dancers, musicians and singers who perform a repertory based on cultural manifestations in the northern state of Bahia. The troupe made its debut in 1988 with “Bahia of All Colors,” and with this program, Balé Folclórico revisits its African origins with nods to traditional slave dances, capoeira, samba, religious rituals and Carnival celebrations.

“Exuberant, indefatigable and virtuosic, the dancers, singers and drummers of this superb company exploded with the Afro-Brazilian rhythms that are its special heritage,” wrote a New York Times critic.

In addition to a display of colorful costumes and high-energy choreography, an Otago Daily Times reviewer called the company’s performance “a great study of the human form and an exultant celebration of the interplay of its masculine and feminine forms through the ages.”

The company performs in traditional clothing that occasionally reveals partial nudity.

Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring a visiting artist or artists, is offered in Eisenhower one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity, so seating is available on a first-arrival basis.

Shirley J. Coploff, Nancy S. Gamble, and Lam and Lina Hood sponsor the performance. The Penn State International Dance Ensemble Endowment provides support.

For more information about the performance, or to purchase tickets, visit Balé Folclórico da Bahia or call 814-863-0255.

Patrons are welcome to bring a contribution for a book drive aimed at supporting Mid-State Literacy Council’s efforts to improve reading and learning proficiency in children. Titles with reading levels of preschool to sixth grade are preferred. Blue collection buckets are located in the Eisenhower lobby during regular business hours—Monday through Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.—and during evening and weekend events at the auditorium.

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