A festival that will bring the Coast's Asian community together and will offer dance, drums, fabric dyeing, shadow puppet show, readings and martial arts demonstrations for the public to enjoy, takes place in Dougall Park in Gibsons this Saturday, Sept. 23.
Organizer Valerie Jackson hopes the New Moon Festival will be a point of connection for the many people of Asian heritage on the Coast and will also be a celebration.
"Asian cultures often follow the lunar calendar," she says, "and the Chinese traditionally host a mid-autumn celebration in the outdoors." In this case, the festival has a strong dance component and is sponsored in part by the Sunshine Coast Dance Society.The day of fun opens at noon with a Japanese dance performance from Kayo Nishikawa, recently seen at the annual Powell Street Festival, and continues with songs from Langdale resident Yoko Chance on the main stage at Dougall Park. Sensei Dallas Grieve, described as an inspirational karate teacher from Roberts Creek, will give a demonstration at 1 p.m. accompanied by his dojo.
Janice Wong of Vancouver will read at 1:30 p.m. from her book, Chow, a memoir of her family life and her father's restaurant business (published by Whitecap). Chow recently won an award in the Canadian Culinary Book Contest. Pender Harbour resident Alcvin Takegawa Ramos, known on the Coast for his mastery of the shakuhachi bamboo flute, will give a concert at 5:30 p.m. and will also give a history of the flute and its connection to Japanese spirituality at 2 p.m. at the Kinsmen's Hall.
Yukiko Blackwell will give a demonstration of a traditional Japanese dye technique, katazome, of interest to textile artists. A group from Vancouver, the company Erasga Dance, will perform at 3 p.m. Their work usually explores themes that are socially relevant and very contemporary. The dance excerpt to be performed on Saturday will be reprised in Gibsons in the spring during a full-length performance sponsored by the Dance Society. Following the performance, Alvin Erasga Tolentino and Eileen Kage will give a dance and taiko drum workshop at the Kinsmen Hall. Though it is aimed at the dance community, it is suitable for beginners of 13 years old and up. To register for the workshop, call Kelly Foley at 604-886-5950.
The day also includes storytelling and other demonstrations of tai chi and aikido, a Chinese lion dance, along with calligraphy and food. The event closes with a lantern procession led by taiko drummer Joyce Chong at 7:15 p.m. and the première performance of the Mind of a Snail Shadow Puppetry called Collecting the Sky at 7:45. By that time, dusk should be on the park so participants are reminded to dress warmly.
The festival runs rain or shine. Admission is $5 for adults, and children under 12 are free.
