The groups appearing this year will offer dances drawn from age-old rituals of initiation, war, hunting, harvesting and the welcoming of guests.

But the choreographer, who is 31, aims at a communication of ideas too, in dances drawn from black American culture and his own meditations on the human condition.

Geoffrey Holder's "Dougla" is a ritualistic dance drawn from the Indian and African influences on Trinidad's culture.

The group, which began in 1971, is dedicated to preserving the folk-dancing heritage of Iraq, performing traditional dances drawn from across that country's history and geography.

It was a dance drawn from her growing sense of loss as she grew older and faced life changes.

"Canto/Pianto," a series of formal dances drawn from the production, will have its New York premiere at the Joyce.

Foreign choreographers regard her dances, drawn from village street fiestas and Indian rituals, as second class.

The Afro-Brazilian focus of the company has been widened to include dances drawn from Brazil's Indian populations.

The spirits rise when these two dynamic companies perform dance drawn from Africa.

Next taking the floor will be Batoto Yetu, an exuberant children's company that performs dance and music drawn from African traditions.