Performer's Schedule for Sunday, April 24, 2011 1:00pm-2:45pm

Post date: Apr 8, 2011 11:40:34 PM

Start off the Dia celebration shortly before 1:00pm with a bang…and a gong….with the Yau Kung Moon Lion Dancers just outside the entrance to the Koret Auditorium on the lower level of the Main Library. Then follow them inside for a rousing lion dance performance and martial arts demonstration. Yau Kung Moon is a martial arts and lion dancing organization considered to be one of the most well respected in the U.S. featuring pioneering Northern and Southern lion dancing at competitions, and performances.

Our emcees Dra. Marisol and Nurse Rona from Nuestros Niños/Childhood Matters will welcome you to the program which continues with a dance performance from the Fei Tian Academy of the Arts California, a private school for grades 6 to 12, combining traditional arts and rigorous academics to successfully educate the whole child. Fei Tian CA also offers an after school program featuring Chinese culture, classical dance, calligraphy and fine arts.

Next up are local puppet masters, The Fratello Marionettes presenting 'Carnival of the Animals' : 3 classic fairytales – The Three Little Pigs, The Tortoise and the Hare and The Ugly Duckling performed wordlessly to music by the French composer Camille Saint-Saens. Utilizing a unique performance style, the puppet and puppeteer are seen in full view of the audience on a raised stage.

Wrapping up the performances is the high energy music and dance of Haiti, presented by Afoutayi Dance Company, featuring dancer Djenane Sainte-Juste, with her brother on drums and her mother Florencia Pierre on vocals. A native of Haiti, Djenane is an accomplished choreographer, dancer, actress and vocalist who specializes in traditional Haitian dance, and folklore. Her innovative choreography along with her love of dance, storytelling and children enhance her interactive performances for families.