The Second Annual Youth for Youth World Music & Arts Fest in San Francisco

San Francisco (California), USA – Door Dog Music Productions announced the second annual Youth for Youth World Music & Arts Fest, a professional concert series where youth artists ages 5-17 from around the Bay Area perform for and share their musical heritage with young audiences and their families in San Francisco. The youth fest will kick off with a “Youth World Music Showcase” on May 15, 2007 at School for the Arts (SOTA) Theater and culminate in “A Journey to China: Scholars, Goddesses & Warriors” on June 2 & 3, 2007, set to premiere at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in downtown San Francisco.
 
 The “Youth World Music Showcase” features Bay Area’s young people, ages 5-17. Students of world music masters share their musical heritage in an afternoon showcase – from the Alice Fong Yu Percussion Troupe performing the traditional percussion music of China and the Youth Ensemble of Trinity Center for Music performing music of Southern India, to the East Bay Persian Youth Ensemble playing traditional music of Iran and the students of the SOTA Latin Jazz Ensemble.“A Journey to China: Scholars, Goddesses & Warriors” features the music and performing arts students from Alice Fong Yu Alternative School in San Francisco. Five scholars, goddesses and warriors of China tell their tales through ancient music, thundering percussion, elegant dancing, Cantonese opera, brush painting, martial arts sparring and more. Combining documentary film footage and an original script written by the 8th graders, with special sets and lighting design, Chinese master artists from different disciplines work together with these young artists to create an original multi-dimensional performance.

This premiere is an all encompassing multi-media Chinese production featuring over a hundred youth from Alice Fong Yu Alternative School (K-8) performing Chinese music, dance, opera, and brush painting, with a dramatic script written by the 8th grade class in Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese and English. The show will also feature master artists from China performing Chinese percussion, opera, martial arts, and dance, including master percussionist Wang Wei, master Cantonese opera actress and musician Eva Tam, wushu artist Grandmaster Ling Mei Zhang, plus a South Indian youth music ensemble, among other artists. The students are working with the finest production team in the field, from lighting and scenic designer Matthew Antaky to videographer Kirk Schroeder.

Through a script written by the 8th graders of Alice Fong Yu, “A Journey to China: Scholars, Goddesses & Warriors” explores the profound effects of their contributions – politically, religiously, and artistically — to the contemporary identity of the Chinese people. Five characters from China tell their tales of wisdom, wonder and woe – from Confucius, revered philosopher and scholar and Mao Tse-Tung’s third wife Gui-Yuan, to Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Emperor of China, Guan Yin, the Chinese Boddhisattva of Compassion, and Peking Opera legend Mei Lanfang. Taken together, each of these characters represents an important face of modern China. In addition, there will be a youth cast performing a famous scene of Cantonese Opera along with professional Cantonese opera musicians.

Door Dog Music Productions and the Alice Fong Yu Alternative School have a unique partnership whereby master artists from China train the youth year-round and affect the transmission of Chinese art forms and culture. Says Liana Szeto, principal of Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, "At Alice Fong Yu School, our students do not only learn how to speak, read, and write Chinese, they are also learning how to appreciate the culture through music, dance, and visual arts. We believe that the arts is an excellent way to bridge cultures and build community." Michael Santoro, Executive Director of Door Dog Music Productions and Artistic Director for the “Journey to China” show, comments, “With this show, professional artists from China and the educators at Alice Fong Yu Alternative School are working together to combine the school’s daily curriculum with performance and visual art in new creative ways, which will propagate Chinese culture by providing a platform for making traditional arts viable and relevant in this country.”

The Youth for Youth World Music & Arts Fest is an annual professional youth concert series produced by Door Dog Music Productions that integrates young artists ages 5-17 into a larger cross-cultural community of world music masters and youth audiences. By connecting multi-generations of artists and families, the Youth for Youth World Music & Arts Fest provides a professional performing arena for young people to experience cultural awareness through traditional music, while building tolerance and respect for different cultures and peoples of the world, as well as the pluralistic social perspectives necessary to work across cultural differences. The Youth for Youth World Music & Arts Fest 2007 is produced by Door Dog Music Productions in association with Alice Fong Yu Alternative School and School of the Arts (SOTA).

Youth World Music Showcase
Tuesday, May 15, 2007; 12 PM
School of the Arts (SOTA) Theater
555 Portola Drive, San Francisco
Admission: FREE

A Journey to China: Scholars, Goddesses & Warriors
Saturday, June 2, 2007; 7 PM
Sunday, June 3, 2007; 3 PM
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater
700 Howard Street @ 3rd Street, San Francisco
Admission: $15, $20, $25 ($5 OFF for SFUSD students with ID)

FOR TICKETS
Box Office: 415-978-ARTS (2787) or http://www.sfworldmusicfestival.org