Dance is about movement, rhythm and style. But it is also about connection.

When a dancer meets another dancer, it doesn't matter if they dance the same dance or even speak the same language, an instant camaraderie springs up, an instant bond takes hold.

For 20 years, the folk dance group Clog America has experienced this phenomenon, as it has traveled around the world, sometimes as the only representative from the United States, to participate in folk dance festivals.

"For 20 years we have been building bridges of friendship and peace around the world through music and dance," says Shawnda Bishop, founder and director of Clog America.

And now, she says, they have a chance to give back. "What better way to celebrate our 20th year of touring than to bring home a bit of that festival magic?"

This is also the year that South Jordan is celebrating its sesquicentennial, "and they have given us a lot of support," Bishop says. "When they came to us and said, 'What can we do that we haven't done before and that will be a special celebration,' the idea of International Days was born," Bishop says.

The weeklong festival, which will run Aug. 10-15, will offer a celebration of international music and dance. "Bountiful and Springville have wonderful folk dance festivals," she says, "but there hasn't been anything quite like this in the Salt Lake Valley. We thought it would be a great way to expose people, especially young people, to a variety of cultures through the magic of dance."

International Days will feature performances by Clog America as well as Maly Slask from Radzionkow, Poland, and Bartok Dance Ensemble from Budapest, Hungary. In addition, the Bingham High Dance Company is a co-sponsor of the festival, and several local international children's dance groups will also perform.

"We're so happy to have the Bingham High dancers," Bishop says. "They bring a whole other kind of dance to the festival."

The Bingham dancers do "mostly jazz, hip-hop and modern dance," company director Jessica van Klaveren says. "So, this is very exciting for us. It's kind of like the Olympics. We are hosting all these other countries, and we get to celebrate the universal language of dance."

The festival will include street dances, instruction and performances at various locations in South Jordan, culminating in a "Folklore Fun & Summer Bash" at The District on Friday and "Concerts of Culture" at Bingham High on Saturday.

Most events are free; "Concerts of Culture," which also serves as a fundraiser for the Bingham High Dance Company, has a nominal charge.