The Lucie Stern Community Center hosted its second annual Around the World in a Day Festival on Saturday. The event, held in downtown Palo Alto, brought together community members to honor cultures from around the globe.
“This is our second event, and I created it for community harmony, for folks in the community to learn and understand other cultures,” Palo Alto Recreation Coordinator of Special Events Lance LeDrew said.
The main room of the community center featured booths containing different content. Some had trivia questions and fun facts about different cultures, while others provided information about library resources available around the community.
Next to the event’s main entrance, a huge map was plastered on the wall. Attendees picked up pins and marked the locations of their family backgrounds, visually representing the community’s diversity. Pins stretched across the map, from Mexico to Morocco.
The Palo Alto Library organized another similar stand. “We were invited to come out here today and table the event to showcase some of our international world language collections and programs that we provide for free at the library,” Palo Alto Library Services Manager RuthAnn Garcia said.
“I love kids coming up to the table and answering our questions. We’ve got a prize wheel and some cute, easy trivia and questions about languages. [We also answer questions about] using the library and attending library events,” Garcia said.
Library information booth.
After socializing and meandering past the various tables and displays, community members gathered at the front of the room, eager for the performances to commence.
Up first was Arte Flamenco De San Jose—an adult dance program—performing four different flamenco-style pieces. The group took to the dance floor dressed in various shades of red and black, starting off with a modernized version of the flamenco technique. Performers paired rhythmic snapping and stomping with upbeat music, keeping the audience intrigued. Dancers all moved as one, maneuvering in sharp synchronization.
“Anytime you’re getting people together that are coming from diverse backgrounds, it doesn’t hurt to do a little cross-pollination. We learn from each other. Even in flamenco, the dance is no longer what would be considered pure. It takes the influences of other dance forms today and includes those,” the group’s artistic director, Flavia Geist, said.
The second dance slowed into ominous and captivating moves, building anticipation with its rhythmic patterns. During the last piece, performers played along to the beat with castanets. Audience members were guided to clap in unison, matching the timing of the castanets. The sense of unity and togetherness only grew in the final moments, when volunteers were brought onto the floor to dance with the performers.
“It was a very welcoming crowd, which we always enjoy. Cultural events are a highlight in terms of the variety, meeting other dancers, and having fun with the audience,” Geist added.
Following the playful drama of flamenco, the Melody Academy of Music took to the stage. With students ranging from teenagers to young children, they showcased various musical skills and celebrated styles from around the world. After a first group of singers covered genres including pop and jazz, another student took the audience on a journey with an intriguing violin piece filled with upbeat suspense. Shortly after, a musical duet seamlessly blended violin and clarinet, creating a peaceful tune. Finishing the musical showcase memorably, a final singer covered the catchy popular song, “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” by British artist Olivia Dean.
Volunteer uses the hyōshigi.
Attendees then migrated to the community room for traditional Japanese storytelling, presented with a puppet-like stage called a kamishibai. The storyteller shared traditional Japanese tales and classic children’s books. Each book started off with the use of a hyōshigi, a wooden instrument used to initiate performances and presentations. Once demonstrating how the tool was used, the storyteller gave an audience member the chance to kick off the last story.
Guru Shradha performs.
The second to last act of the afternoon was a set of mesmerizing cultural dances performed by the group Guru Shradha. Bells adorned the traditional decorative costumes and jingled along with the dancer’s precise movements. The dance’s pace escalated as it went on, with the music growing faster until an abrupt ending to the piece left spectators awestruck.
The group’s second performance was graceful. Sounds of drums and bells created variety and suspense within the rhythm. The captivating dance moves shifted into more complex, practiced footwork. Both dancers moved together with ease through the many components of the piece, keeping the audience engaged until the very end.
Finally, the entire group of attendees gathered in the center of the room to learn dances from different cultures. Community members smiled while trying out and celebrating different dances. The welcoming event fostered a joyful space for cross-cultural learning and connection among the community.
