Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon dancers weren't the only ones getting their groove on this weekend.

Dance was one of the many facets of African cultures on display at the African Students Association's (ASA) "A Touch of Africa" Saturday evening at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. A mixture of food, fashion and entertainment was showcased to an audience of about 500, including Penn State President Graham Spanier.

In President's Hall, the 52 flags of the independent nations of Africa lined the walls as the guests mingled, many of them wearing traditional African garments.

Eric Barron, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, wore a Nigerian garment made for him when he visited the country last summer developing academic partnerships with universities in Africa.

The goal of the evening was to educate the Penn State community while Africans celebrate their culture, Jean-Phillipe Kouassi, ASA president, said.

Spanier, who has previously attended this annual event, said it interests him because of his African roots. Spanier was born in Cape Town, South Africa.

"It's a great way to bring people together from different cultures," Spanier said.

A banquet featuring dishes from various African regions began the festivities. Dishes such as Poff Poff, fried bread from West Africa, and cous cous from North Africa, were served.

Many of the dishes were prepared by the students said Brian Owens, a banquet server who has worked at the event for the past four years.

"There's always so many different dishes," Owens said.

The entertainment portion of the evening commenced with a Sarakasi acrobat performance. Three men with large wooden drums set the rhythm, while seven more sang in dialect. They were joined on stage by three women in brightly-colored, belly-baring skirts and halters, showcasing their dancing skills.

The finale was the acrobats themselves, wearing gold and black tiger-print costumes. One man holding up four others formed an unsteady pyramid while balancing on a wooden board, supported only by a rolling canister.

"Africans usually do things like this," Chidi Nwosu (senior-energy, business and finance) said.