National Museum of the American Indian Hosts Three-Day Multicultural Festival on Inaugural Weekend

KanKouran West African Dancers performing on Jan. 19, 2009 at the “Out of Many: A Multicultural Festival of Music, Dance, and Story” program at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian's Potomac Atrium
 in Washington, D.C. A Washington area institution, KanKouran West African Dance Company was founded in 1983 to introduce African dancing and drumming to American audiences. In the Mandingo culture of Senegal, KanKouran is a spiritual guide who teaches youth the meaning of manhood and womanhood. True to this spirit, the dance company works extensively with young people through its youth groups and children’s classes.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will host “Out of Many: A Multicultural Festival of Music, Dance and Story” from Friday, Jan. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 20. The three-day program to commemorate the inauguration of President Barack Obama will feature daily performances of live music, dancing and storytelling in the museum from a variety of cultural traditions. All performances are free and open to the public. More than 12 groups will appear, including:

Photo: Katherine Fogden, NMAI
Alma Boliviana – traditional Bolivian dancers
 -- perform at the National Museum of the
 American Indian during the 2010 Power of
Chocolate Festival

Tradiciones Bolivianas, who perform traditional dances of the Andes Loren Anderson, an Alutiiq storyteller
Arax Armenian Dance Ensemble
Buddhist Ekoji, Taiko drumming
Flory Jagoda Trio, Sefardic music
Halau O‘Aulani, who will perform Native Hawaiian music and dance KanKouran, West African dancers from Senegal Vicky Leyva, Afro-Peruvian singer The Wild Zappers, a hearing-impaired dance troupe

In addition to the inauguration festival, the National Museum of the American Indian will present a photo exhibition, “A Century Ago…They Came as Sovereign Leaders” Jan. 15-Feb. 25. In honor of the inauguration, the exhibition focuses on President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1905 inaugural parade and the six great chiefs who participated in the procession: Buckskin Charlie (Ute), American Horse (Oglala Sioux), Quanah Parker (Comanche), Geronimo (Chiricahua Apache), Hollow Horn Bear (Brule Sioux) and Little Plume (Piegan Blackfeet).

Photo: Ernesto Amoroso

The museum will be closed to the public Monday, Jan. 21, because of the museum’s proximity to the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.

More information is available on the museum’s website: www.AmericanIndian.si.edu.

Photo: Cynthia Frankenburg, Smithsonian

Alma Boliviana – traditional Bolivian dancers -- perform at the National Museum of the American Indian during the 2010 Power of Chocolate Festival