The Burlington/ Puerto Cabezas Sister City Program, as a high point of our 20th anniversary, brought Dwayne “Neko” Waters and two young Nicaraguan dancers to Burlington the last two weeks in October 2004.
    Neko, Dianira, and Ofny were exemplary ambassadors. From St. Albans to Johnson, with both children and senior citizens, they got Vermonters moving to the multicultural rhythms of Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast. While here they offered workshops for young people in several schools and senior centers as well as performing their multiethnic dances on television and in  community centers. 
     The final performance at Burlington's Contois Auditorium was an ideal example of interaction when students from Vermont schools joined in the performance and members of the local band Sambaducata provided live percussion on stage. 
     Neko is a 24-year-old native of Puerto Cabezas, an award-winning dancer skilled in performing Caribbean dances from Miskito, Creole, Garifuna and Latino roots. For several years he has been instructing young people of Puerto Cabezas in dance as part of an anti-drug program in the region. His workshops combine a high-energy mix of aerobic dance activity and rhythmic Caribbean music.
     Ofny and Dianira are two of his best students, and together the group made many Vermont friends. A DVD of their adventures here is available from the Sister City Program.