Asian American Festival at the Children’s Museum of Arts. To celebrate the diversity of New York City, the Children’s Museum of Art produces an annual series that celebrates the artistic and cultural traditions of different communities. During the month of January, the Asian American Festival will feature live music, dance, theater and storytelling performances, and workshops that highlight the Asian American culture. There will also be temporary exhibits of relevant art and artifacts from the community, including the following highlights:
- 12:30-1:00 PM, PS 124 Lion Dance Performance: The group was founded in 2003 as a way to usher in the New Year during the school’s Chinese New Year celebrations. Each year, students from the graduating 5th grade class devote their time in learning and practicing this venerable Chinese tradition. Through months of hard physical training and intense choreography, the PS124 Lion Dance Group are able to put on dazzling and exciting performances.
- 2:00-4:00 PM, Hula Performance and Workshop: Aloha Hula NYC is a professional dance company specializing in Polynesian dances. They won the Gigmasters awards for Top Dancer and Best of 2012. The dancers of Aloha Hula NYC have danced together for many years, and continue to provide lu’au entertainment for New Yorkers while still going back to the islands of Hawai’i to study and learn from hula masters to deepen their knowledge of Hawaiian culture and dance. Hula is traditional Hawaiian dance, but it is much more than just dance. Hula is the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people. It is an expression of history, religion and the human spirit. Hula tells a story about life in Hawaii through graceful movements of the hands and feet.
Dates: Saturday, January 4th and Sunday, January 5th
Times: 10a – 5p
Cost: Free with general admission $11/per person (children under 1 are free and Seniors over the age of 65 are free)
Location: 103 Charlton
FiDi Families Insiders: Thursday’s from 4p – 6p > Pay as you wish
For more information, please visit http://cmany.org