San Benito High School’s auditorium will soon feature drum beats and dancing as Dimensions Dance Theater and San Jose Taiko take to the stage May 30 to raise money for art programs at local schools.
Proceeds from the performances will benefit the San Benito County Arts Council’s Artists in the Schools Program, which brings cultural presentations and artists-in-residence to more than 6,000 students each year. The program exposes students to art through workshops and schoolwide assemblies.
“It’s a great way for students to see things that they either have never seen before or would have to travel long distances to see,” said Jennifer Laine, executive director for the San Benito County Arts Council.
San Jose Taiko has performed in San Benito County schools for at least three years and will bring the powerful sounds of Japanese drumming to the stage. Taiko is the Japanese word for drum, according to the group’s website.
At the same event, Oakland-based Dimensions Dance Theater group will perform in Hollister for the first time, Laine said. Its members will perform various forms of African-American-inspired choreography including traditional African dance, hip hop and jazz.
“These are well-known and well-respected performance groups that we’re excited to bring down for our audiences,” Laine said.
EVENT DETAILS:
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Mars Hill Coffeehouse, Mr. O’s Academy of the Arts or the Blak Sage Gallery of Fine Art. They can also be purchased at the door. For more information or to make reservations, call (831) 636-2787 or email in**@sa***********.org. Tickets are $7 for students, $10 for adults and $30 for a family of two adults and two kids. Admission is free for children age 5 or younger.
EVENT SPONSORS
The performance is sponsored by the San Benito County Arts Council, Corbin, Heritage Bank of Commerce, the California Arts Council, Community Foundation for San Benito County and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.
