“What other city in the world has anything like the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival?... I heartily envy the Bay Area residents who can see the three programs I must miss… ”

—Alastair Macaulay, Chief Dance Critic, New York Times

There is magic in the sound of an African drum, as your body moves with the beat, and your rhythm harmonizes with the people around you. As drummers from Fua Dia Congo played in the lobby of the Palace of Fine Arts after the closing performance of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, and concentric circles of artists and audience members moved to their rhythm, I was overwhelmed with a sense of joy and achievement for the Festival. Malonga Casquelourd, who founded Fua Dia Congo, worked tirelessly to sustain Congolese culture, and although Malonga passed on six years ago, these extraordinary drummers were evidence that Malonga’s spirit lives on within the artistic community that World Arts West is dedicated to supporting. And evidence that our support is making a difference.

“The aspect that makes the festival so remarkably watchable is its commitment to the artists, who are not simply there to provide exuberant, family-friendly fare, but to breathe new life into both age-old and more obscure art forms.” —Nirmala Nataraj, Dance Critic, SF Station

The 31^st annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival featured 36 local dance companies representing over 20 distinct cultures. More than 500 Northern California dancers and musicians brought their repertoire to the Palace of Fine Arts over four weekends in June of this year. Over 11,000 local Bay Area arts lovers attended the performances, some for the first time, but many as part of an annual, cherished cultural tradition.

Your donation in 2008 made all of this happen. You kept the Festival alive through one of the worst economic downturns in recent history— thank you.

We are excited, given the tough economic climate, to be entering 2010 with a surge of new activity. With the support of The Wallace Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, we are embarking on one of the most extensive community outreach and audience research and planning processes in our organization’s history. By next fall, the outcomes of this work will lay the groundwork for new programs and performances, and enhanced ways to celebrate and honor the culturally diverse dance forms practiced by thousands of dedicated artists throughout the Bay Area.

2010 is going to be big year in the Festival’s history—but our foundation supporters can only take us so far, which is why it is imperative that we continue to receive support from individuals who value our work. We urge you to be a part of this next stage in the Festival’s history by making a tax-deductible contribution at this time. Click here to make a donation. Your support will strengthen the Bay Area’s dance communities and help sustain these important cultural traditions for future generations. Click here to make a donation.

Thirty-one years after our first Festival, we are witnessing the second and third generations of Bay Area artistes enthusiastically picking-up the baton and perpetuating the dance and music of their forefathers. Please help us nurture these artists.

Our work has never been more important as these arts pass through this immensely critical phase in their intergenerational survival. As we continue to support and promote great artists and their art forms, we are fortunate to have the support of such a wonderful community.

I hope to see you in the New Year.

All my best,

Julie Mushet
Executive Director