After two folkloric dance groups visited to campus, Missouri Southern is offering a third and last to attend a professional traditional dance group.

The dance group Norahua will be performing at 7 p.m. Friday in Taylor Auditorium.

“This is really the grand finale of the Mexico Semester,” said Dr. Chad Stebbins, director of the Institute of International Studies. “They are one of the premiere performance groups of the Midwest.”

The group will bring 25 performers.

Hope Alvarez, president and announcer, said she is looking forward to coming to campus.

“We are very excited about coming to Missouri Southern,” she said. “We’ve danced at different states in the United States, but we’ve never been to Missouri.”

She said she was treated with respect and professionalism while working with the University over the past year.

“We are very impressed with the international mission there,” Alvarez said.

Stebbins and Alvarez said they would like to see the students learn something from the event.

“I hope we’ll be able to bring a lot of information, not only with our costumes, but about the culture as well,” Alvarez said.

The group will be wearing authentic clothing typical of the regions they represent. In all, the group will represent 11 Mexican states.

“The dresses weigh between 20 and 38 pounds,” Alvarez said. “That is part of the art – learning the costumes.”

Rod Surber, director of public information, helped plan the event and is looking forward to seeing the clothing.

“One of the best things is the colorful costuming,” he said. “It’s worth it. The costumes will be outstanding.”

Stebbins said he encourages all students to come to the event and he reminds them this is the last stage performance of the Mexico Semester.

“I would say the Mexico Semester has been our most successful semester in the turn out of people,” he said.

The dance will last an hour and a half, but afterward, the directors and dancers will be available for questions.

Alvarez said during the performances, announcers will discuss the meanings of the dances and the histories behind them.

“You don’t get this caliber for free,” Surber said. “It amazes me that the students can see this caliber of performances here where elsewhere it costs $23 a ticket. This is definitely worth it.”

The group will feature director Jamie Fuentes, to whom Alvarez gives her credit.

The members of the group have been formally trained after coming from different high schools around Oklahoma.

“These aren’t children,” Stebbins said.

Stebbins said the group is of a different standard than the previous folkloric groups because this group has more experience.

The performance is free to everyone.

“Come one, come all,” Surber said.