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CALENDARTo update information or submit an event, email ACTA. Symbols of Identity – Jewelry of Five Continents
Photo: Mingei International Museum Through May 31, 2007 The exhibition is composed of examples of adornment from cultures in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe fashioned from silver, gold, enamel, gems, beads, wood, shells, ivory, and bone. Always intended to be beautiful and valuable, jewelry can have other meanings as well. It often identifies its wearer's culture, beliefs, religion or station in life. Magnificent silver crowns and torques from Guizhou, China, Yemeni necklaces, bracelets and earrings, Norwegian agnus dei pendants, and a multi-strand necklace from the Samburu culture of Kenya all indicate a woman's marital status. Yemeni amulet cases and a Mexican milagro necklace are protective charms. An Omani pendant with a verse from the Koran and Fatima's hands and a necklace with three crosses from Brazil reflect the wearer's religion, while also providing protection. A Yemeni landlord's necklace contains an abacus, and another necklace has grooming utensils suspended on it, attesting to their owner's station and profession. Traditional work and contemporary design are both on view. Examples of turquoise from the American Southwest, Ladakh and Tibet – belts, necklaces, rings, bracelets, hats and breastplates; an Ainu necklace from Japan and a group of Inuit objects, including a delicate bracelet portraying indigenous creatures, are in the exhibition. A William Spratling-designed necklace fashioned from pre-Columbian beads, looking as if it could have been made yesterday, is displayed next to contemporary jewelry designed by San Diego designer craftsmen Arline Fisch and Helen Shirk. Shell jewelry from Oceania and intricately worked silver jewelry from Ethiopia are also on display. Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission: $6 For more information visit the Mingei Museum’s website.
Rebozos De Mi CorazónThrough May 31, 2007
Photo courtesy of Arte Américas A collection of rebozos from different regions in Mexico. Courtesy of Helen Rael. "I can’t remember when or if I ever really started 'collecting' rebozos, they just seemed to grow in various colors and style in my closet. “However, after learning of its history – the various regions where they are made, textile and weave patterns, the rapacejo (the ends or beards of the rebozo), and the time and dedication it takes to craft a beautiful rebozo – it was an instant romantic, and respectful rite of passage for me. That is when I realized that in each rebozo, the soul of a Mexican craftswoman or craftsman lives, and it was then that I started seeing rebozos with my heart. “I learned that in Mexico, women from all walks of life use the rebozo. The rebozo is used to carry infants – keeping them safe, close and warm; to carry products to market; as a headdress; and to embrace the shoulders of women in life and often as a last service as she sleeps her last sleep. “The rebozo is not a temporary fashion statement, it is eternal. It continues to be the all-encompassing, uncomplaining, enduring symbol that identifies the Mexican woman’s feminine courage, strength, and mystique." – Helen Rael
If Baskets Could Talk . . .
Photo: Agua Caliente Cultural Museum Through June 2007 “If Baskets Could Talk…,” explores basketry materials and construction, styles and uses, and the meanings of the woven symbols. If baskets could talk they would tell us many things… who gathered their materials and carefully prepared them, who patiently wove them with intricate designs, what they were made to hold and carry, what their beautiful and creative designs mean. Baskets can talk to us with special voices that speak to our eyes, our minds, and our hearts. We can look and learn about the things that were important to their people, how they lived and worked, and how they celebrated and expressed their connection to their environment. The baskets in this exhibit all come from Southern California and especially from Cahuilla territory. All tribes had social and economic relationships with their neighbors, inter-married, and shared traditions. This is reflected in their basketry as well… through use of the same materials, weaving techniques, design motifs, and their uses. For more information, visit the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum’s website or call (760) 323-0151.
Native American Women’s CreationsJune 3 – August 25, 2007 A traveling exhibition from the Riverside Metropolitan Museum collections. For more information visit the Riverside Metropolitan Museum’s website.
Kumeyaay : Indigenous People of Southern California
Ongoing When Father Junipero Serra entered the San Diego area in 1769, he encountered a thriving population, peaceful and hospitable. After conscripting native people to build Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the Spanish called them Diegueños after the mission, but the people had their own name: Kumeyaay. Traditional Kumeyaay lifeways are presented in displays detailing food supplies, dress and adornment, games, and ceremonies. The Kumeyaay arts of pottery and basketry are highlighted, and the exhibit has been expanded with a new display of a traditional Kumeyaay house. Admission: $8 Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily For more information visit the Museum of Man’s website. MaySan Francisco 7th Annual Bulgarian Sts. Kiril and Methody Cultural FestivalSaturday, May 19, 2007 Including dance and music workshops, historical lecture, kids’ workshops, traditional Bulgarian food and drink, weaving of the traditional garland of flowers, procession of the Golden Icon of Sts. Kiril and Methody, and performances by the UCLA Balkan Ensemble. This project has been made possible in part by a grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts’ Living Cultures Grants Program, in partnership with the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation. Admission: $15, children are free For more information visit the Croatian American Cultural Center’s website.
Asian Pacific American Heritage FestivalSaturday, May 19, 2007 Celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) with performances from OACC’s resident artists Nitya Venkateswaran, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, The Song-Shan Shaolin Monks, and much more. Admission: Free For more information visit the Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s website or call (510) 637-0455.
Third Annual Asian Heritage Street CelebrationSaturday, May 19, 2007 In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Asian Heritage Street Celebration is organized by the AsianWeek Foundation in cooperation with over 51 organizations in the Asian American community. The AsianWeek Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 committed to developing the Voices of Asian America. All proceeds from the Celebration will be donated to local and national charities. The Street Celebration was created to assemble the diversity of Asian Pacific America and to share its cultures with each other and all Americans. Admission: Free For more information visit the Street Celebration’s website.
At the Crossroads: Music & Culture of the Mid EastSunday, May 20, 2007 The Yuval Ron Ensemble, featuring Arab vocalist Najwa Gibran, Whirling Dervish Aziz, Armenian Duduk master Yegish Manukian, includes Arab and Jewish artists who come together to celebrate the musical traditions of Judaism, Sufism, and the Christian Armenian Church. Composer and world-music producer Yuval Ron orchestrates the deep inter-cultural connection between these three traditions and the musical influences they share. The concert will feature songs of Sufi origin from Turkey, Jewish prayers from Morocco, Yemen, and Israel, as well as Armenian church chants. Admission: Free, pre-registration is required, seating is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis For more information, or to register for this concert, call (310) 825-5387 or email cjsrsvp@humnet.ucla.edu
Academy of Chinese Performing Arts’ 2007 Annual PerformanceSaturday, May 26, 2007 The Academy of Chinese Performing Arts’ (ACPA’s) mission is to cultivate and foster Chinese culture in the vibrant and culturally rich land of the United States by bringing exemplary Chinese performing arts programs to Bay Area communities. Mr. David Z. Chen, founder and artistic director, is a choreographer and Chinese Classical and folk dance instructor from Shanghai, China. His production of the academy's annual performances has brought joy to our communities for the past twelve years. Join ACPA for an evening of Chinese dance by the academy's dancers. Admission: $18 For more information or to make reservations call (510) 676-4528.
“Rep Yo Roots” – AYPAL TRAC 9th Annual May Arts FestivalSaturday, May 26, 2007 Everyone is welcomed to celebrate AYPAL TRAC’s (Asian Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership Talking Roots Art Collective’s) nine years of the history of empowering youth and building community through the arts. This year youth present the impact of violence in our lives and our community through theater, spoken word, cultural dances, murals and hip hop. Admission: Free For more information call (510) 834-9455 ext. 211 or (510) 866-3548 or email peninaava@aol.com.
Classic Arpana 25Saturday, May 26, 2007 Featuring 25 members of the Arpana Dance Company. A mixed repertory of excerpts from Arpana Dance Company’s past programs – Ganga… Life as a River, Pancha Bhootam, Celluloid Classics, and other traditional pieces from Arpana’s repertoire. Admission: $15-$35 For more information, contact Arpana Dance Company. JuneYouth for Youth World Music & Arts Fest 2007 – A Journey to China: Scholars, Goddesses, and WarriorsSaturday, June 2, 2007; 7:00 pm Featuring the music, peforming arts, and visual arts students from Alice Fong Yu Alternate School performing Chinese music, percussion, dance, brush painting, martial arts, lion dancing, and more. Combining documentary film footage with special sets and lighting design, master artists from different disciplines work together with these young artists to create an original multi-dimensional performance. Admission: $15-$25 For more information visit the San Francisco World Music Festival’s website, email info@doordog.org, or call (415) 561-6571. To purchase tickets call the box office at (415) 978-ARTS.
San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival 2007Weekend One Weekend Two Weekend Three
This year, four specially commissioned original dance works are being premiered at the Festival. World Arts West, producer of the Festival, has fostered the creation of new works by local artists, including Diamano Coura West African Dance Company and Jyoti Kala Mandir College of Classical Arts. Another commission will showcase Charya Burt, founder of Charya Burt Classical Cambodian Dance, who created a new work based on Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” Charya is a current master artist in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program. The creation of Charya’s new work was facilitated in part by ACTA’s Traditional Arts Development Program. Photo courtesy of World Arts West During the opening night gala, World Arts West will present its annual Malonga Casquelourd Lifetime Achievement Award to Danongan Sibay Kalanduyan, a master of all aspects of the Maguindanao tribal style of kulintang music and dance. He began playing at the age of 4 while growing up in a fishing village in the Catabato area of Mindanao. In 1995, he received the United States' most prestigious award for traditional artists, the National Heritage Fellowship, granted by the National Endowment for the Arts. Danongan is a current master artist in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program. Tickets: $22-$36, subscription packages for all three weekends of performances are also available For more information, including a complete line-up of performances, visit World Arts West’s website.
North African Dance Workshop with Aisha AliSunday, June 10, 2007 Dancer, dance ethnographer, and instructor Aisha Ali will be teaching a workshop on North African dance. Learn the history, cultural background, and origins of Egyptian (ghawazi, baladi, and raqs sharki) and other North African (Algerian ouled naïl, Morrocan shkihat) dance styles. Registration: $60 in advance, $70 at the door For more information, including registration, please visit Halanda Studio’s website.
La Loteria: Mexico en FantasiaSaturday, June 16, 2007; 8:00 pm Grandeza Mexicana Folk Balley Company presents its newest concert production, an interpretation of traditional Mexican fables and legends, with the title choreography (La Loteria) based on the popular Mexican children’s game of the same name. The show includes three new choreographies. In addition to La Loteria, a story activated by the iconic characters of the Loteria game (el diablo, la dama, el apache, and more), the show will present Un Mito Entre El Maiz y Las Flores (A Myth Among the Corn and the Flowers), a telling of an ancient Mesoamerica legend about a goddesses’ struggle to find true love. In addition to these two pieces is Era el Tiempo de Duendes (It Was the Time of Elves), based on an old Mexican fable in which rag dolls come alive and dance with magical elves, and a restaging of Grandeza Mexicana’s popular works – from the Mexican regions of Chiapas, Yucatan, and Jalisco – that share the concert’s theme of magic and surrealism. Tickets: $25-$35 Fore more information visit Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company’s website.
Academy of Chinese Performing Arts’ 2007 Annual PerformanceSunday, June 17, 2007 The Academy of Chinese Performing Arts’ (ACPA’s) mission is to cultivate and foster Chinese culture in the vibrant and culturally rich land of the United States by bringing exemplary Chinese performing arts programs to Bay Area communities. Mr. David Z. Chen, founder and artistic director, is a choreographer and Chinese Classical and folk dance instructor from Shanghai, China. His production of the academy's annual performances has brought joy to our communities for the past twelve years. Join ACPA for an evening of Chinese dance by the academy's dancers. Admission: $18 For more information or to make reservations call (510) 676-4528.
Brazilian Summer Festival 2007Sunday, June 17, 2007 Join in what the Brazilians called “backyard samba” with traditional Brazilian samba group Fundo de Quintal. Also featuring Lula Almeida and Afro Brazil. The audience is welcome to join in and dance on stage. Doors open two hours prior to the show for picnicking, booths and music from DJ Mano Gil. Brazilian arts and crafts booths will be located throughout the Ford. Admission: $12-$45 For more information visit Brazilian Nites’ website.
Kahena Ēwe III – Hawaiian Cultural WorkshopsThursday, June 21, 2007; 12:30 pm – 8:30 pm Presented by the Ke Po’okela Cultural Foundation in perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture and study of hula – past, present, and future. Distinguished presenters Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, Kaumakaiwa Lopaka Kanaka‘ole, Keone Nunes, and Anthony La’akapu-a-Kawailani Lenchanko offer lectures, workshops, and demonstrations in hula ‘auana, hula kahiko, oli, tattoos, and kanikapila. These workshops have been made possible in part by a grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts’ Living Cultures Grants Program, in partnership with the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation. Workshop Fees: $35 per class, early registration is encouraged as space is limited For more information, including complete workshop schedule and locations, visit Ke Po’okela Cultural Foundation’s website.
Kahena Ēwe III – Hawaiian Cultural WorkshopsSaturday, June 23, 2007; 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Presented by the Ke Po’okela Cultural Foundation in perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture and study of hula – past, present, and future. Distinguished presenters Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, Kaumakaiwa Lopaka Kanaka‘ole, Keone Nunes, and Anthony La’akapu-a-Kawailani Lenchanko offer lectures, workshops, and demonstrations in hula ‘auana, hula kahiko, oli, tattoos, and kanikapila. These workshops have been made possible in part by a grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts’ Living Cultures Grants Program, in partnership with the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation. Workshop Fees: $35 per class, early registration is encouraged as space is limited For more information, including complete workshop schedule, visit Ke Po’okela Cultural Foundation’s website.
Chhandam School of Kathak 26th Annual School PeformanceSunday, June 24, 2007 The largest Indian classical dance school in North America presents its 26th annual school performance. Admission: $12-$25 For more information visit the Chhandam School of Kathak’s website.
County & Regional CalendarsA calendar of Festivals and Celebrations in San Diego is available from the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.
Let us know if you have special information that should be posted here.To update information or submit an event for the calendar, |
The 29th Annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival features twenty
nine companies representing dance traditions from 20 cultures and featuring
more than three hundred Northern Californian dancers and musicians. This
year’s theme is Evocations.