PERFORMING ARTISTS
The traditional performances of music and dance provide a rich array of rhythm, movement, instruments, and vocals that engage the audience.
Music and dance are often at the heart of cultural expressions found in every community, developed for celebratory, sacred and daily occasions. The performances also represent all ages, connecting the generations. These performing groups commit to preserving the traditional songs and dance of their respective communities and spend many hours in classes, rehearsal, and preparation.
ChitraKaavya Dance: Indian Dance
Stage - Saturday, May 29th 12:15 – 12:45 pmSaturday, May 29th
Indian Dance
Stage
12:15 – 12:45 pm
ChitraKaavya Dance is a non-profit dedicated to exploring Indian classical dance forms (primarily Bharatanatyam) and conceptualizes movement as a means of visual poetry. Their mission is to help create and nurture strong intercultural connections between the Indian diaspora and the many vibrant cultures in the Salt Lake Valley through the use of visual and performing arts, primarily dance; to raise the level of discourse around Indian classical dance forms, and have them be recognized for their technically demanding, yet remarkably versatile vocabulary.
Tutulli Ballet Folklorico: Mexican Dance
Stage - Saturday, May 29th 1:00 - 1:45 pmSaturday, May 29th
Mexican Dance
Stage
1:00 – 1:45 pm
Tutulli is a Native American word that means “Beautiful”. Our dancing group performs folkloric dances from all parts of Mexico. We help children and adults to learn to be an important part of society through our dances. Everyone in our group donates their time and talents to share a little piece of the Mexican culture with others.
Hopi Dance Group: Hopi Pueblo Dance
Stage - Saturday, May 29th 2:00 - 2:30 pmSaturday, May 29th
Hopi Dance Group
Hopi Pueblo Dance
Stage
2:00 – 2:30 pm
Jambo Africa Burundi Drummers: African Burundi Music
Stage - Saturday, May 29th 2:45 - 3:15 pmSaturday, May 29th
African Burundi Music
Stage
2:45 – 3:15 pm
Red Branch: Irish Music
Stage - Saturday, May 29th 3:30 - 4:15 pmSaturday, May 29th
Irish Music
Stage
3:30 – 4:15 pm
Born from the mountain mining camps of the Wasatch, where the Irish made up a large percentage of the population, Joe & Paddy Welsh grew up steeped in Irish music, culture, and tradition. Focusing on old traditional tunes and songs played on traditional instruments, the band presents an exciting and dynamic performance. The band has spent the last 25 years preserving and performing their heritage around the Mountain West.
Salt Lake Capoeira: Afro Brazilian Dance
Grass - Saturday, May 29th 4:10 - 4:40 pmSaturday, May 29th
Afro Brazilian Dance
Grass
4:10 – 4:40 pm
Salt Lake Capoeira shares the vibrant Afro-Brazilian art form of capoeira through regular classes for kids and adults, community outreach, and performances. It’s led by Volta Miúda capoeira group founder, Mestre Jamaika.
World Dance Company: International Dance
Stage - Saturday, May 29th 4:30 - 5:00 pmSaturday, May 29th
International Dance
Stage
World Dance Company was founded in 2019 for people who love to perform and share their love of many international dance styles. In their first year they were able to represent the United States of America and American dance at the Red Rocks Festival in Kanab, and they are thrilled to be doing so in Living Traditions this year!
Chaskis: Andean Music + Dance
Stage - Saturday, May 29th 5:15 - 6:00 pmSaturday, May 29th
Chaskis
Andean Music + Dance
Stage
5:15 – 6:00 pm
FOOD MARKET VENDORS
The food market is a multicultural dining adventure, offering the traditional foods of various ethnic communities.
The food market is a multicultural dining adventure, offering the traditional foods of various ethnic communities.
One of the most anticipated elements of the Festival are the food vendors which are organized by local businesses, non-profits, and community groups who use the proceeds earned at the festival to re-invest in their year-round cultural programming, such as classes, workshops, performances and festivals. For the volunteer cooks, as well as family and community members who assist, the Food Market provides the opportunity to gather and share their most delectable food traditions with everyone who attends the festival. The food market also serves as an incubator for small businesses.
The Good Start Truck: Mexican
Saturday, May 29th
Honey Teahive: British High Tea
Saturday, May 29th
Kafe Mamai: African Carribean Fusion
Saturday, May 29th
Kona Ice: Hawaiian Shaved Ice
Saturday, May 29th
CRAFTS MARKET VENDORS
Exceptional examples of traditional crafts are created on-site by masters of their respective art forms.
Exceptional examples of traditional crafts are created on-site by masters of their respective art forms.
These craft artists have acquired the skills and techniques that are passed down through generations or learned through apprenticeships and demonstrate traditional crafts, materials, and techniques. Artists often share the history of the art form, as well as how they became interested in it. The traditional materials and techniques are part of the story as well. Many of the Living Traditions craft demonstrators have been recognized with awards for excellence.
Japanese Bonsai - Ken Yamane
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
Japanese Bonsai
with Ken Yamane
Crafts for Sale
Craft Area
As a teenager, Ken Yamane watched his father tend bonsai plants at home. When he spent time in Japan in the Air Force and was given a bonsai plant to tend, Ken developed a strong interest in this art form. He studied with a recognized bonsai master, has displayed his work at various festivals in Utah and is considered to be Utah’s foremost Japanese bonsai artist.
Japanese Origami - Judy Iwamoto
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
Japanese Origami
with Judy Iwamoto
Demonstrating Artist
Craft Area
Judy Iwamoto, a native of Salt Lake City, has always been fascinated by origami. She taught herself the craft, and then worked with master artist Ine Takenaka. Today Judy is one of Utah’s most accomplished and enthusiastic proponents of origami. She shares this art form with others at festivals and in classrooms throughout Utah.
Mexican Paper Flowers - Frances Rogers & Amanda Ontiveros
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
Mexican Paper Flowers
with Frances Rogers & Amanda Ontiveros
Demonstrating Artist
Craft Area
Frances Rogers learned to make a variety of paper flowers from her aunt, Delores Perez. She has passed along her knowledge to her daughter, Amanda Ontiveros, and her granddaughter, Kristina Martinez. They enjoy making flowers along with other Mexican paper crafts such as candy-filled papier-mâché piñatas, confetti-filled cascarones, and design-filled banners called banderole, their beautiful creations enliven local parties and fiestas.
Armenian Hand-Knotted Carpets - Diane & Julia Moffat
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
Armenian Hand-Knotted Carpets
with Diane & Julia Moffat
Demonstrating Artists
Craft Area
For six generations Salt Lake’s Aposhian family has been weaving oriental-style rugs featuring intricate traditional designs from their Armenian homeland. George Aposhian, Jr. learned to weave rugs from his father and from his grandparents who immigrated to Salt Lake City in the early 1900s. In turn, he has taught the traditional techniques for stringing a vertical loom and weaving rugs to his daughter, Diane Moffat, who is now teaching her own granddaughter, Julia.
Turkish Crafts - Zeynep Kariparduc
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
Turkish Crafts
with Zeynep Kariparduc
Crafts for Sale
Craft Area
The Emerald Hills Institute’s mission is to develop positive connections within and between the Turkish community and other Utahns. In Turkey it is customary for women to create a dowry of handmade textiles for their daughters’ wedding while teaching handwork skills such as embroidery and jewelry making to their daughters. Oya headscarves are deeply-rooted in traditional Turkish culture. New brides and young women traditionally conveyed their expectations, their good tidings, their happiness and unhappiness, and their marital status to those around them through the oya they wore.
Weaving from Myanmar - Ei Mer Karen Weaving Group of Utah
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
Weaving from Myanmar
with Ei Mer Karen Weaving Group of Utah
Demonstrating Artists
Craft Area
Among Utah’s refugee community are the Karen and Karenni people from the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, a country formerly known as Burma. Using a backstrap loom, an ancient and portable technology, they still produce domestic textiles, a skill they have kept alive even while living in Thai refugee camps for the last 30+ years or resettling in the U.S.
Custom Boots - Don Walker & Tonya Murdock
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
Custom Boots
with Don Walker & Tonya Murdock
Demonstrating Artists
Craft Area
After studying with eastern Utah’s bootmaker Randy Merrell, the original designer of the Merrell hiking boot, Don Walker opened his own custom boot and repair shop in Spring City. Today, he makes custom hiking boots, cowboy packers, and orthopedic shoes. His favorite job is to make cowboy-style dress boots of fine leather, with plenty of fancy stitching. Don’s apprentice Tonya Murdock has been working over the past few years to learn the bootmaking trade and brings her own style to custom boots.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Our work could not happen without all of the other arts and cultural organizations that make Salt Lake City a vibrant place to live.
Our work could not happen without all of the other arts and cultural organizations that make Salt Lake City a vibrant place to live.
The Division of Multicultural Affairs
Saturday, May 29th
The Multicultural Affairs Office was created by executive order in January 2012. During the 2019 legislative session, a housekeeping bill codified the Office thereby renaming and structuring it as the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs under the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts, and solidifying its integral role in state law. The Division recognizes the importance of developing relationships with the many different communities throughout Utah in order to achieve its important mission.
The West View
Saturday, May 29th
West View Media is a non-profit news organization that informs, educates and inspires readers through publications that focus on the diverse communities in west Salt Lake City. We offer an authentic look into an area of Salt Lake City that has traditionally been undervalued and misrepresented by mainstream media and local government entities. We strive to do this not only with professional staff, but also by empowering people who live and work in west Salt Lake City to tell their own stories, in their own voice.
Chinese Society of Utah
Saturday, May 29th
The Chinese Society of Utah was founded in 1986 by Mr. Hubert Chang and many other Taiwanese (Republic of China) supporters. It is the first Chinese organization formed by new immigrants from Taiwan. Membership in this organization is about 150 and their occupations range from restaurant owners, businessmen, engineers, and professors. The Chinese Society of Utah replaced the Chinese for Community Action in 1986 and became the representative Chinese organization in the Asian Society of Utah. A president, a vice president, and a 7-member board body provide volunteer work to serve its members and community. The CSU organizes major Taiwanese Chinese holiday celebrations, coordinate with TECO (Taiwan Economic Cultural Center) to provide visas and other citizen services, and also supports cultural events in the greater Salt Lake area.
International Rescue Committee
Saturday, May 29th
The International Rescue Committee provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America. Each year, thousands of people, forced to flee violence and persecution, are welcomed by the people of the United States into the safety and freedom of America. These individuals have survived against incredible odds. The IRC works with government bodies, civil society actors, and local volunteers to help them translate their past experiences into assets that are valuable to their new communities. In Salt Lake City and other offices across the country, the IRC helps them to rebuild their lives. Since opening its doors in 1994, the IRC in Salt Lake City has resettled nearly 12,000 refugees and provided life-changing services to thousands more in the Beehive State.
Salt Lake County Mayor's Office for New Americans
Saturday, May 29th
The Office for New Americans established in 2016, is to improve the lives of Salt Lake County’s New American residents by maximizing their civic, social, and economic potential.
Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services
Saturday, May 29th
League of Women Voters
Saturday, May 29thSaturday, May 29th
The League of Women Voters was founded as a successor organization to the National American Woman Suffrage Association by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920, just six months before the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving all American women the right to vote after a 72-year fight for women’s suffrage.
Nomi Health: Onsite COVID-19 Vaccinations
Saturday, May 29th
Nomi Health help governments, businesses, and organizations scale to meet the challenges of COVID-19 with increased access, quality, and efficiency.
Nomi Health will be providing COVID-19 Vaccinations onsite during this event.
