The Fredonia World Mallet Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Tiffany Nicely, will perform with the Rochester-based Alma de Mexico (Soul of Mexico) dance troupe.
A Fredonia ensemble will bring the music and dance of the Mexican culture to campus in a special October concert.
The Fredonia World Mallets Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Tiffany Nicely, will perform with the Rochester-based Alma de Mexico (Soul of Mexico) dance troupe on Monday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
The performance, free and open to the public, is made possible through a grant from the Carnahan Jackson Humanities Fund of the Fredonia College Foundation.
The World Mallets Ensemble, an arm of the Fredonia’s Percussion Ensemble, studies and performs traditional music of Mexico, West Africa and Central America. It is comprised of 28 students divided into ensembles of four to seven members. The core instruments are marimbas and drum set.
Dr. Nicely said she applied for the Carnahan Jackson grant to give her students the opportunity to experience the “challenges and rewards of working with dancers, as well as bring traditional Mexican music and dance to the greater Fredonia-Dunkirk area.”
Nicely, along with her professional Buffalo-based trio La Marimba, has been collaborating with Alma de Mexico since 2022. In addition to the dance troupe, vocalist Bryan Noble will join the World Mallets for the Oct. 12 event.
“Audience members will experience traditional music and dance that is beautifully intricate and up-tempo, that will bring them joy and contribute to a wider awareness and understanding of Mexican culture,” said Nicely.
