25th anniversary Ethnic Dance Festival - Summer Calendar of Performances - the festival runs June 7-8, 14-15, and 21-22 at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon Street in San Francisco - Calendar

Dance Magazine, May, 2003

The lobby of the Ethnic Dance Festival at intermission looks something like a good-natured United Nations gathering, as dancers and viewers, wearing anything from saris to jeans, mingle. The festival, now celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, hosts seven to eight companies on each of the festival's three programs.

What began as a modest concert series in San Francisco's cultural centers evolved into an extended celebration of California's cultural richness. This year, the festival opens with Hawaiian hula from Na Lei Hula I Ka Wekiu and includes the children's group African Queens and perennial fest favorites the Barbary Coast Cloggers. Enjoy high-stepping from the Murphy Irish Dancers and live music with the Balinese Gamelan Sekar Jaya and San Francisco Taiko Dojo on subsequent programs. The festival runs June 7-8, 14-15, and 21-22 at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon Street in San Francisco. Call 415.474.3914 for tickets or see www.ethnicdancefestival.com for more information.