The Peninsula International Dance Festival 2024 will be in San Mateo for just two performances on July 20 and 21. Produced by the Peninsula Lively Arts, this year’s festival features 21 esteemed international dance and music companies that reside in the Bay Area. The performances will be held at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, a fabulous venue with ample parking. That is a rare combination in the Bay Area.
This festival promises to showcase traditional dances from around the world. If it is anything like last year’s festival, it will be a vibrant, colorful, energizing display of the movements, rhythms, and cultures that define dance throughout the globe. From the fiery passion of Spanish Flamenco to the contagious energy of Indian Bollywood and Khatak, audiences will be taken on a journey across borders and cultures.
Performances range from grand spectacles by renowned companies to intimate solos of virtuosic dancing. More than 200 artists, in vibrant authentic costumes will bring to life the dances and traditions practiced in the many cultures that are represented. Peninsula Lively Arts Executive Producing Director/CEO, Christine Leslie, is credited with this quote, “ With each step, we embrace the diversity that defines our community. The Peninsula International Dance Festival is a celebration of unity through the universal language of dance.”
This year, the festival proudly welcomes many of the Bay Area’s award-winning ethnic dance and music interpreters led by distinguished master teachers and choreographers. Curated by Gregory Amato and Chloe Watson (experts you can count on to provide the best in entertainment) the impressive 2024 Festival Artist Roster features more than 20 dance and music companies. The entire roster can be found on the website mentioned below, but a few of the renowned groups are:
Antara Asthaayi Dance (India)
Azteca Dancers/Calpulli Tonalehqueh (Mexico)
Ballet Ndolo (West Central Africa Congo)
Feng Ye Dance (China)
Minoan Dancers (Crete/Greece)
Peninsula Ballet Theatre (USA)
Taiko SOBA (Japan)
Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco (Spain)
Based in the heart of San Mateo County, Peninsula Lively Arts is the producing organization for Peninsula Ballet Theatre, the Peninsula School of the Arts, Peninsula Hip-Hop Productions, Peninsula Broadway Theater, and the Peninsula International Dance Festival. The Peninsula International Dance Festival aims to provide great entertainment and promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation through a wide range of dance forms.
You will find details of the festival, ticket prices, and more information on the website. The two scheduled performances are Saturday, July 20 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, July 21 at 2:00 pm. The San Mateo Performing Arts Center is located at 600 North Delaware Street. I have said in previous reviews that Peninsula Lively Arts’ productions allow me to see world class talent without going into San Francisco. Never is that more true than at the International Dance Festival. They continue to provide the Bay Area with world class performances.
All photos in this article are credited to Vin Eiamvuthikorn
Splash Magazines
Be the first to comment