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| Downtown Arts Series a virtual gold mine |
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MIGHTY MOUNTAIN WARRIORS
If sketch comedy keeps you up on Saturday night, you'll want to check out The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors. The comedy group brings a unique brand of comedy, influenced by Hong Kong slapstick and action movies that made the likes of Jackie Chan popular in the United States.
The Warriors also list Monty Python's Flying Circus as influences of their act and attribute their crossover appeal to a belief that laughter knows now cultural boundaries. See the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors April 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. |
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| Photograph by Dave Lepori |
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FIREBIRD YOUTH CHINESE ORCHESTRA
The members of the Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra are virtuosos of the pipa (lute), zheng (lap harp), di (bamboo flute) and a number of other traditional Chinese instruments.
The Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra is comprised of young people who were born and/or raised in the United States and who play Chinese instruments. The group performs a mix of traditional Chinese music and new works. See the Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra chamber concert May 4 at 2 p.m. |
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| By Heather Zimmerman and Estelle Pagnoux |
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Silicon Valley is world-famous for its wealth of technology, but when it comes to the arts, the valley is home to many hidden treasures. For the past 12 years, the Downtown Arts Series has offered a treasure map, giving audiences the opportunity to discover the abundance of cultural riches in the South Bay.
The series, sponsored by the city of San Jose and the California Arts Council and produced by the San Jose Stage Company, is a performance series showcasing up-and-coming local arts and multicultural organizations. The aim is to give these organizations experience producing a show in a professional venue and the audience exposure that will help them go on to produce shows independently.
Of course, South Bay audiences really reap the rewards from getting treated to an array of theater, dance, music and visual arts performances they might not get the chance to see every day.
The San Jose Stage Company, a founding partner in the program, hosts all six performances at the Stage Theater, 490 S. First St., San Jose. Tickets for each performance are $12. For more information, call 408.283.7142.
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| Photograph by Dave Lepori |
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'LENGUAJE DE INCENDIOS'
Mexican culture comes alive with a new dance work depicting the writing of Latin American poet Octavio Paz, performed by the Margaret Wingrove Dance Company of San Jose. The troupe presents Lenguaje de Incendios or Language of Fire, created by Artistic Director Margaret Wingrove, with Michael Howerton dancing the lead . See Lenguaje de Incendios April 24, 25, 8 p.m. |
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| Photograph by Dave Lepori |
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'YO SOY EL CORRIDO'
With its program Yo Soy El Corrido, Aztlán Academy-San Jose celebrates corridos, or storytelling songs. The Aztlán Dance Troupe and interpreter Carmencristina Moreno will bring to life tales of Mexican history through music, dance and song.
Aztlán Academy-San Jose is dedicated to the Mexican and Chicano folk arts. See Yo Soy El Corrido April 26 at 7 p.m. and April 27 at 3 p.m. |
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Melodies 2003
The modern dance company Dancing Sun Foundation's artistic director Bih Tau Sung takes to the stage with Jin Wen Yu for Duet No. 5. Yu will also perform solo, including a piece inspired by a Chinese ribbon dance. Melodies 2003, a new work by Sung, features guest artists from around the Bay Area.
See Melodies 2003 May 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. |
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LOVE'S SHADOW
A man returns home from the military to his wife and a daughter he has never met. This modern take on a Vietnamese folk play, performed by the Danny Nguyen Dancers and Musicians and San Khau Viet Cali Performing Arts Group, mixes multicultural dance with theatrical interpretation.
The Association for Viet Arts presents Love's Shadow on April 20 at 2 p.m. |
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