One of the exciting aspects of the festival was the "sand stage" area. This was an area that shifted from day to day, and even within the day, you just had to find it throughout the day. The sand stage was where the indigenous dances and music were performed. The Tuareg men performed throughout the festival, and each group had its own style. The following clip displays three different forms of Tuareg dance. The first group that perfored was Tamnana . They have a very unique style of dancing that is performed by their extended family group. No other group performs their dance. It was so fascinating, I have also provided a longer clip which some one posted to YouTube.

The third clip is from the main stage. The performers are from Burkina Faso. We didn't catch all of the woman dancing but watch when her partner comes out. Doesn't his dance look familiar? Please enjoy these clips from the desert.