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Summer Wonder 2007 Performance Series at Penn Museum
July 17, 2007, Volume 54, No. 1

 

Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble

Children and their families are treated to a wide range of international music, dance, and theater this summer, when the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology presents its Summer Wonder 2007 Performance Series. The Summer Wonder programs, free with Museum admission, Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m, through August 15. Performances are one hour. Pre-registration is required for groups of 10 or more. For information or to register, call (215) 746-6774.

Designed for children ages 6 to 12 and their families, Summer Wonder programs introduce diverse cultures and cultural perspectives through the performing arts. The 2007 series includes the following performances:

July 18—Celebrate a variety of Arabic rhythms with accomplished Middle Eastern percussionist and music teacher, Joseph Tayoun, and see Al- Bustan’s Percussion Ensemble youth members perform their original arrangements.

July 25—Learn about the first people of Pennsylvania as Chief Chuck DeMund of the Lenape Nation recounts history through storytelling and percussion music.

August 1—Malfada’s Afro-Caribbean drum and dance group presents an interactive performance that will engage the audience! Mafalda is an exciting personality, and a past recipient of the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts Preserving Diverse Cultures in Dance award. Her breadth of experience includes performances and workshops in Mali, Senegal, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Marteen and most recently in France.

August 8—Eco Del Sur is a musical ensemble, which consists of artists from Chile, Columbia, and Ecuador. They have united to explore and perform ancient and contemporary music from Latin America. Each member has mastered a variety of instruments such as zamponas, quenas, ocarinas, moxenos, mandolins, bongos, maracas, and rain sticks to give visitors a taste of Latin American sounds.

August 15—The Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble choreographs powerful and electrifying performances. Inspired by dancers in West Africa, this mesmerizing African dance and drum presentation celebrates the African culture.
Following each Summer Wonder program, children and their families are invited to explore the Museum’s three floors of galleries, including materials from ancient Egypt, Asia, the ancient Mediterranean world, the Near East, Mesoamerica, North America, Polynesia, and Africa.

The Museum Shops and the Museum Cafe also join in the Summer Wonder. The Museum’s Pyramid Shop for Children, which features games, toys, and books with stories from around the world, will remain open Summer Wonder days, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Museum Shop, open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, offers a rich assortment of international arts, crafts, and jewelry. The Cafe, open 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., joins with kid-friendly foods on Summer Wonder days.

The Museum will be partially open on Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. from now through August 26, featuring the Lower Egyptian Gallery and  “Amarna, Ancient Egypt’s Place in the Sun” ($6 adults; $4 senior citizens and students will ID, free to Museum members, children under 6 and PennCard holders). Closed Mondays and Labor Day. Call (215) 898-4000 for information, or visit the Museum’s website at www.museum.upenn.edu.

Almanac - July 17, 2007, Volume 54, No. 1