Bob Marley skirts, fabrics and bandanas with bright colors and an energetic room full of dancers swinging their hips and flailing their arms to the beat of the drum could be found Saturday afternoon on campus.

Community members and students gathered in room 113 of the White Building this weekend for the second West African Dance and Drumming class.

The class, which is offered for free every first and third Saturday of the month, is a collaboration between NOMMO Performing Arts Company, a student organization specializing in African dance and drumming, and the Bote Fote African Drum Workshop, said craftsman and musician Chuck Greb.

The class is a mix between traditional West African music and, sometimes, Central African drum rhythms and dances, Rhonda Belue, co-instructor for the class, said. "A 10-year-old girl said she felt it in her heart," Belue said. "She felt like she was getting closer to her culture."

On Saturday, the class started with a dance called the Sinte, which Lori Francis Stauffer, co-instructor, said is an initiation or rite-of-passage dance.

During the Sinte, members of the class stood in lines at one end of the dance floor and slowly made their way down while learning the West African dance moves.

Stauffer told them the drummer would make a call for them during the dance, and they would respond with a gesture that means "thank you."

At the end of the Sinte, the dancers formed a circle and showed off their new moves.

Belue said because there are some beginners in the class, they try to pick dances with rhythms that are easy to follow. She said they try to use old movements and also add new ones.

Stauffer said she and Belue teach the class because they both love African dancing. She said there is not enough West African culture in the community, and they wanted to change that. In terms of African dance, there's only NOMMO, she said.

Greb, who was a member of NOMMO as a student, now focuses on getting African music and dance out to the community through classes, craftsmanship and instruments.

"Everybody's clapping, drumming and singing all at once, and that makes this really special," he said.

Greb said he goes to Africa once a year to get materials to make drums; he also picks up fabrics, sandals, jewelry and other handicrafts.

Sherna Johnson (junior-journalism) said she likes to come to dance because it's a stress reliever. "It's fun because it's not just the university, it's the State College community," she said.

Belue said the class benefits the community because parents can come with their children and not have to worry about getting a baby sitter.

Sara Eve Rivera (freshman-graphic design) said that in high school, she was invited to volunteer for drumming. She loved it so much that she plays for the class.

"African drumming is so different than other music," she said. "It's very energetic and lively."