Kevin Locke, internationally renowned Lakota hoop Dancer and flutist, brings his stunning performance to Bismarck State College Friday, Dec. 7.

Now a world ambassador with appearances in nearly 80 countries, Locke shares his message of unity in a solo presentation from noon to 1 p.m. in Sidney J. Lee Auditorium. The BSC Multicultural Program offers the presentation at no charge.

Locke grew up South Dakota, learning the values, traditions and language of his native Lakota-Anishinabe culture for which he works tirelessly to preserve in dance, music, traditional storytelling, and as recording artist, educator, and global herald of humanity's collective heritage.

Touring for two decades, Locke has shared his vision of universal spirit, harmony, balance, beauty, joy and diversity as cultural ambassador for the U.S Information Service since 1980. Deeply committed to conservation, he was a delegate to the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil and featured performer and speaker at the 1996 United Nations Habitat II Conference in Turkey.

In 1990, he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, which recognized him as a Master Traditional Artist. Locke, the preeminent player of indigenous Northern Plains flute, has made 13 albums. "The First Flute," recorded at Bismarck's Makoch?ecords in Bismarck, won Best Traditional Recording at the 2000 Native American Music Awards.

Locke performs hundreds of shows each year at schools, colleges, museums, libraries, conferences, parks, powwows, reservations, festivals of all sizes and at some of the world's largest and most prestigious venues. Given his fame, Locke still concentrates 80 percent of his message on children.

He also gives workshops in exploring contemporary challenges within the framework of traditional Native American culture, history and values. In 2003, Locke assembled the Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble with three other core performers from other tribes. The group performed at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and tours the stage show "The Spirit of Music and Dance."


For more information about Locke's performance, contact Eric Cutler, multicultural coordinator, at 224-5798. | save this article / add to your favorites list