Many young people from southern Sudan fled their home country during its second civil war in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming known as the "Lost Boys" and "Lost Girls" of Sudan. About 3800 boys and 90 girls who fled the war were resettled in the United States, with about 100 settling in Western Washington. There, a group of about 12 young men decided to tell their story through a performance called "Dancing When Found: the Journey of the Lost Youth of Sudan." Through dance and music they told stories of walking hundreds of miles across the desert, eating leaves and tree bark to survive, and in many cases, seeing their parents killed or leaving them behind. Despite their traumatic experiences the men found comfort and community in their dance, with one saying, "Dancing reminds us of our culture. You may think of something bad, but if you come together, everything will be better."

In this image, Mayen Akoon leads the group in rehearsing. The red color of their clothes symbolizes their tribe, the Malual. Their dance movements represent parts of their homeland - upraised arms standing for water buffalo, or stomping to show a connection to the land. The men sing about their journey fleeing from the war, and an interpreter translates from their native language of Dinka. The flag in Akoon's hand is the flag of the southern rebels during the civil war, and became the flag of South Sudan after its independence in 2011.

Caption information source: "Chance for all nationalities to celebrate the human spirit," by Brad Wong, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 21, 2002, page B1.