International artists join local artists in this free, global series that offers an exploration into a variety of cultural traditions including Pan-Caribbean, Chinese, Maori, Inuit, Irish and Chicano

(September 27, 2006) - The Music Center's World City is a performance series featuring internationally renowned artists sharing their culture through dance, music, song and storytelling. The events take place on select Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and are free to the public. Tickets are distributed starting at 10 a.m. on the day of the event and art workshops are offered immediately following each performance.

Presented at the W.M. Keck Foundation Children's Amphitheatre at Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown Los Angeles, World City kicked off on September 16 with the poignant puppet theatre play "The Pink Dress" presented by Triumvirate Pi Theatre and the powerful rhythms of taiko music by On Ensemble. The series continues on October 28 with Australian storyteller and musician Paul Taylor and the Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre. Additional performers include David Gonzalez/¡Retumba!, Melody of China/Hsiao Hsi Yuan Puppet Theater, Nukariik/Vinok Worldance, Máire Clerkin, Gangbé Brass Band, Quetzal/Danza Floricanto USA and Halau ‘O Keikiali'i. Dates and specific information follows.

Many of the performers at World City are from an acclaimed roster of artists who also participate in the Music Center's school programs. Each month a particular culture is featured through the performances of one or more companies. The post-event art workshops offer attendees a chance to participate in the creative process with simple, hands-on art activities focused on the cultural theme of that day.

"World City is a unique opportunity to experience the diverse cultures of Los Angeles with some of the world's most acclaimed artists, from both the international and local community," states Barbara Leonard, Artistic Director for Education at the Music Center. "We welcome the entire community to come join us in exploring and learning about the different cultures that make up the amazing mosaic that is Los Angeles."

Support for World City provided by grants from the Weingart Foundation, the Julie Stearns Dockweiler Foundation, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, The Kenneth T. & Eileen Norris Foundation, and the Peter and Merle Mullin Endowment Fund.

For more information about World City, call 213-972-4396 or visit musiccenter.org.

2006-07 WORLD CITY PERFORMERS

Saturday, October 28, 2006
Paul Taylor (Music/Storytelling, Australia)
Acclaimed performing artist and educator Paul "Walking Stick" Taylor helps bridge cultures by sharing the stories and music of Aboriginal and European Australia. Taylor delights in celebrating the culture of his homeland through story, song and didjeridoo.

Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre (Dance, New Zealand)
The Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre preserves the vibrant legacy of the Maori people and brings to life its heritage with vivid presentations of music and dance.

Saturday, December 2, 2006
David Gonzalez (Storytelling, Puerto Rico & South America)
Renowned storyteller, musician and poet David Gonzalez brings his unique blend of music and stories directly from sold-out runs in New York City.

¡Retumba! (Music & Dance, Pan-Caribbean)
A multi-ethnic, all-female music and dance ensemble, ¡Retumba! interweaves traditional rhythms and beautiful ancient melodies with its very own unique interpretations. It emphasizes the particular strengths and sensitivities of diverse women working together in celebration, demonstrating the similarities and links of their shared culture.

Saturday, January 6, 2007
Melody of China (Music, China) Combining an ancient cultural tradition and the youthful, diverse culture of America, Melody of China takes you on a fascinating trek through the music and unique, traditional instruments of China while director Hong Wang narrates.

Hsiao His Yuan Puppet Theater (Taiwan) Specializing in a southern Chinese tradition of puppet theater known as budai that has been practiced since the Ming dynasty, Hsiao Hsi Yuan Puppet Theater uses ornate wooden glove puppets with stage movements and vocal styles adopted from Peking Opera.

Saturday, February 10, 2007
Nukariik (Inuit culture, Canada)
Nukariik enthusiastically preserves and shares Inuit culture and music through a traditional and contemporary repertoire including throat singing, drum dancing, ajaja songs and traditional Inuit games.

Vinok Worldance (Music & Dance, Canada) A group of multi-talented dancers and musicians Vinok incorporates dance, music and song to share the unique expressions of different cultural groups, while weaving in common cultural threads. This program will feature traditional dances and music highlighting French-Canadian and Celtic folk culture from their native Canada.

Saturday, March 3, 2007
A Gaelic Gathering presented by Máire Clerkin (Music & Dance, Ireland) Presented by Máire Clerkin, a certified teacher and adjudicator with the Irish Dancing Commission, Dublin, and featuring Riverdance and Lord of the Dance star Tara Barry and the All-Ireland and North American champion dance team from the Claddagh School, A Gaelic Gathering offers everything from a traditional ‘Ceili" dance to a Reel step in a thrilling program of fleet feet and timeless tunes.

Saturday, March 31, 2007 Gangbé Brass Band (Music, Africa)
From the West African nation of Benin, Gangbé Brass Band combines the music of military brass bands, ritual chants and rhythms and American jazz melodies to produce an ecstatic contemporary sound. Their lively and playful performances, which include horns, percussions and the bright colors of their traditional garb, entice the listener to step onto the dance floor.

Saturday, May 5, 2007
Quetzal (Music, Mexico)
Based in Los Angeles, Quetzal is an eclectic group that combines a variety of Latin influences (Mexican as well as Cuban, Spanish, and South American) with rock, soul, jazz, and folk. Created to push the boundaries of Chicano music, Quetzal incorporates traditional instruments like the jarana and violin with percussion and guitar on songs sung in both English and Spanish.

Danza Floricanto/USA (Dance, Mexico)
From an Aztec ritual to the vibrant fiestas of today's Jalisco, from the Spanish-influenced tropics of Veracruz to the flirtatious and conflictive realities of the Chicano experience, Danza Floricanto/USA presents the bold, colorful panorama of its Mexican heritages as it interacts with its American reality.

Saturday, June 2, 2007
Halau ‘O Keikiali'i (Dance & Music, Hawaii)
Hawaiian dance and music are used to document and pass on, through the generations, the culture's history. Halau ‘O Keikiali'i utilizes rarely seen implements with the ancient dance style kahiko to present a blending of traditional and contemporary songs as testament of hula's sacred tradition.