On demand
Small Island Big Song Dance Class

Artists from Small Island Big Song teach two dance pieces from separate traditions in a dance class recorded March 1, 2022. 

The first work, featuring Sega dance and music from the Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius, is guided by Emlyn (song and dance) and Koko (percussion). The second piece, a warrior chant and dance from the Pacific Ocean nation of Taiwan, is led by Sauljaljui with support from Putad.

An in-person performance of Small Island Big Song is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, at Eisenhower Auditorium. The appearance will feature a multimedia concert and residency at Penn State with instrumentalists and vocalists from the nations of New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia, Madagascar, Solomon Islands, Mauritius, Marshall Islands, Papa New Guinea, and Tahiti.

Small Island Big Song evolved from visits to sixteen island nations by Australian filmmaker and music producer Tim Cole and Taiwanese film producer BaoBao Chen. They worked with more than 100 artists, elders, community groups, and grassroots musicians. The result is a stunning collaboration reuniting the distant yet interconnected musical traditions of the Pacific and Indian oceans.