Hard on the heels of the all-star Gombey triumph in Scotland, the Warwick Gombey troupe is heading to the United States today to break further ground in spreading Bermudian culture.

The Warwick Gombeys will be the first non-native American performers to appear at the prestigious Feast of Green Corn and Dance, a gathering of hundreds of tribes from across the US.

The troupe was given the invitation by the Pequot tribe two years ago when they visited Bermuda for a festival to celebrate the links between Indians and St. David's Islanders.

The Pequot Tribal Nation of Mashantucket, who came for a similar festival this year, were so bowled over by the similarities in costume, music and dance between the Gombeys and their own culture that they invited the Bermudians to perform.

The 20-strong troupe will be appearing twice daily at the four-day festival - known as the Schemitzun - in Foxwood, Connecticut, and they have even been given an Indian dance to perform at the opening ceremony.

Warwick Gombey founder Irwin Trott told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "Warwick Gombey troupe will be the first ever Bermudians to perform in this strictly native American event and the first outside culture to be part of this.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are very honoured. It is a great honour for our country as well as for both our children and our adult dancers and drummers to experience a different culture.

"It is not just song and dance, it is a very spiritual event with a lot of cultural experiences we have never had before.

"We've been requested to learn a North American Indian dance step for the grand opening and it is a great privilege to even learn that. It will be a very explosive opportunity for us.

"At the festivals in St. David's the Pequots were so impressed by the similarities in the costumes, the decorations and the dance steps."

Mr. Trott has made 15 new hats for the trip to America and one will be presented to the tribal chiefs.

He said yesterday he hoped it will be put in the Pequot museum, the largest of its kind in the world.

"Across many cultures, they say the drum brings harmony to all cultures and that is how we have fostered this connection to the North American Indians," he said.