Aratani World Series continues at the Aratani Theater in Little Tokyo – Los Angeles dance theater review

Aratani World Series continues its 1st season with a lineup of powerfully expressive and exceptionally diverse music and dance performances at the Aratani Theater in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Running through Saturday, May 30, 2015, this trailblazing new series will feature world-class legends as well as a new generation of artists at LA’s global crossroads of music and dance.

Performing over the next few months, Aratani World Series artists include LA’s hottest, newest Cumbia bands Viento Callejero, La Chamba, Buyepongo & Eduardo Martinez y Su Palo Cuero; India’s most genre bending adventurous dance ensemble Navarasa Dance Theater; Taiko rhythms and experimental Jazz with On Ensemble; Sumie Kaneko and Kaoru Watanabe; world trance music by Persian songstress Mamak Khadem; Filipino and Hawaiian aesthetics converge at the 25th anniversary celebration of Kayamanan Ng Lahi featuring Grammy-winning, Hawaiian slack key guitarist Patrick Landeza with the brilliant Jazz instrumentalist Abe Lagrimas, Jr.; a musical migration of gypsy soundscapes from Bulgaria to Los Angeles with the Varimezov Family Band & Moira Smiley with VOCO; the foot-moving glory and soul of Viver Brasil dance ensemble with the captivating vocalist Katia Moraes.

Aratani World Series continues with the next performance: On Ensemble; Sumie Kaneko and Kaoru Watanabe, on Saturday, Feb 7, 2015.

Full details on each month’s scheduled performance can be found here.

Aratani Theatre:

This historic theater is a jewel of the Little Tokyo neighborhood and has hosted an impressive range of artists from around the world. Cup of Java will be the first major Indonesian concert at the Aratani Theater. The impressive plaza designed by Osamu Noguchi frames this 840 seat, fully professionally equipped theater.

The World Festival of Sacred Music (Foundation for World Arts) is founded on the belief that the arts have the ability to bring forth our shared human values of peace, understanding, and respect for all living things. The ARATANI WORLD SERIES is the result of an outpouring of interest and enthusiasm from partners, artists and audiences from past Festivals in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2011.

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ARATANI WORLD SERIES ARTISTS/ PROGRAM CALENDAR:

November 29—May 30, 2015, all performances 7pm.

Full details on each performance can be found here.

Aratani Theatre
244 South San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

February 7

On Ensemble with Kaoru Watanabe & Sumie Kaneko: Japanese Taiko and Jazz

February 28

L.A. Cumbia Festival: Viento Callejero, La Chamba, Buyepongo & Eduardo Martinez y Su Palo Cuero

March 21

MANA: Kayamanan Ng Lahi, Music and Dance of the Philippines.

Featuring: Patrick Landeza, Abe Lagrimas, Jr.

April 18th

Varimezov Family Band with Moira Smiley and VOCO: Music of Bulgaria

May 2

Mamak Khadem: Music of Persia. Navarasa Dance Theater, India

May 30

Viver Brasil & Katia Moraes: Music and Dance of Brazil

Full details on each performance can be found here.