About 200 Maricopans celebrated with the high-energy dancing Watoto Children’s Choir Tuesday night at Leading Edge Academy’s auditorium.

The event was presented through the Community of Hope Church and the church’s founding pastor, Rusty Akers, who introduced the group that came to Maricopa all the way from Uganda, East Africa.

It was a raucous performance of dance, music and culture that had the audience standing up and clapping to the intense, driving beat of the religious performance.

The 16-youth choir and 10 adults are now touring the U.S., said Leading Edge Vice Principal Amy Sundeen, who attended the event.

“They did a phenomenal job,” Sundeen said. “It was incredible.”

Watoto was founded about 40 years ago and Watoto Children’s Choir has had more than 100 choirs traveling the world over the past 25 years, meeting figureheads including, former President George W. Bush and the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

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