If your definition of ballet has anything to do with a dance style that emphasizes restraint, you would be seriously questioning the word after an evening with Les Ballets Africains, the high-octane national touring company of the Republic of Guinea. Currently touring with its 50th anniversary jubilee, Les Ballet Africains, directed by Italo Zambo with choreographer Hamidou Bangoura, performed Saturday at the Maine Center for the Arts and pounded its way into the hearts of the audience.

And in this kind of ballet, pounding is a good thing.

Accompanied by an onstage band playing traditional African drums – the doundoun, kenkeni and krin – as well as the stringed kora, the lateral flute and an array of rattles, the 25 dancers told choreographic stories of their country.

In a series of scenes, the dancers acted out market day, a fateful love story, the call for revolution, the overthrow of female mutilation rituals, and a national dance of masks, representing the regions of Guinea on the west coast of Africa. The barefoot dancers, often dressed in colorful and evocative costumes, combined high-flying acrobatics and energetic movements, some of which turned into blurs at their highest speeds.

The finale piece “Cathedral of Rhythms” was an astounding release of sound, stamina and cut-loose expression. Arms flying, swift footwork and the ever-present smiles of delight on the dancers got the audience up and clapping in the last moments.

Founded in 1952 by the poet and dancer Keita Fodeba, Les Ballets rose from the struggles of colonialism and has been called the best-known folkloric dance company in Africa. While the dance and music draws on traditional forms, the company also has managed to stay in touch – with sadness, hope and often humor – with the issues its country faces today.

It’s no small secret that Americans are on a steep learning curve when it comes to the global task of becoming knowledgeable about other countries. As ambassadors of culture, the members of Les Ballets Africains are, in their vibrant way, helping to make the world a more familiar place. Our own historical link to Africa should make us even more interested in its cultural traditions, many of which have had deep influences on American life.