The rhythm of African drums echo from the open doors of the Gray Cage on a muggy Monday afternoon on the campus of Bates College. Inside, young dancers from across the country and beyond undulate, jump and move to the beat.

Shani Collins-Achille, assistant professor of dance at Connecticut College and artistic director of Eternal Works Inc., is leading 16 students ages 14 to 18 in the West African Dance class during the Young Dancers Workshop at the Bates Dance Festival.

For Collins-Achille, it is an opportunity to “open them up and get the rhythm into their body. Getting them out of their comfort zone and to absorb the music and move with it when they are young is key to their future success. Whether it is modern, contemporary or ballet, it will carry through to all the disciplines.”

Creating the sound for this class is world renowned musician Shamou. With the assistance of some computer-generated accompaniment, he creates the beat for the dancers with an array of different-sized African drums.

During an interview after Monday’s class, after Shamou said he first came to the festival in “1997,” Laura Chambers, a student from Sarasota, Fla., perked up and said, “that’s when I was born.”

Chambers, like many of the young students here, dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

“It’s all I want to do. I have learned so much about myself here,” she said. “Not being afraid to express myself, I am free to do what makes me happy and become more aware of my body. It’s like, therapeutic.”

Not only do students learn about dance during this class — one of many different disciplines they study during their three-week program — they take turns playing the drums for each other. It helps them learn an appreciation, broaden their spectrum and become more in tune with the rhythm of the music.

“Unlike many of the other dance festivals and workshops, the BDF is more relaxed and non-competitive,” Shamou said. “We work on collaboration, communication and self-expression. We all learn from each other and feed off each others creativity.”

Shamou is one of many musicians and performers who work with students for part of the festival, and then collaborate with other professionals later in the summer to create new and exciting pieces. It’s one of the reasons many professional dancers and musicians return to the festival, considered to be one of three premier dance festivals in the country. For more than 30 years, the summer festival has offered programs that have inspired, shaped and produced some of the top dancers in the world, and spawned work that has been applauded all over the world.

Festival Director Laura Faure said the festival is comprised of four interwoven programs. Two are professional training programs, including the Young Dancers Workshop, a rigorous three-week program serving pre-professional dancers ages 14-18; and the Professional Training Program, serving dancers ages 18 and older.

The main-stage performances series features renowned contemporary dance artists from around the world. Community outreach activities include the Youth Arts Program, serving local youth ages 7-16 with dance, music, theater and visual arts training, and the Community Dance Project, which invites local residents into an intensive creative collaboration with a choreographer and Festival dancers.

Commissioning and residency projects support new works by established companies, emerging choreographers and international artists.

Many performances are open to the public, some for free. For more information on the Bates Dance Festival and for a calendar of events, visit www.batesdancefestival.org

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