LA DANZA COMPANY will be performing in a special show, called La Ofrenda/The Offering, in honor of el Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead):

Saturday, October 26th, shows at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Takoma Theatre 6833 4th Street, NW; Washington, DC (1½ blocks from Takoma Metro, corner of Butternut) For info on the theater, visit www.takomatheater.org Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 10. You can buy tickets from Ticketmaster or at the door.

Saturday, November 2nd, afternoon show at Smithsonian American History Museum:

Here's a full description of the various related activities at the museum that day:
OurStory. Day of the Dead /Dia de los Muertos. Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with a special OurStory program and family activities. Author Barbara Joosse reads and signs her book Ghost Wings; the program will be presented in English and Spanish. Make paper marigolds and other crafts. Watch performances by the Latin Steps Dance Company, and see an artist create a real Day of the Dead ofrenda. Take home a bilingual activity guide. Reservations required only for 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. OurStory programs; call 202-633-6752 for more information. 12–4 p.m. Throughout the Museum. www.americanhistor.si.edu/events

For information about LA DANZA COMPANY, call 301/587-5525 or visit www.latinsteps.org

BSOlé at the Mayerhoff
To celebrate the Hispanic Heritage Month, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra staged Manuel Barrueco, the celebrated Cuban classical guitarist and Anna Menéndez, the great Dominican Spanish flamenco and classical dancer, conducted by David Lockington. Interpreting works by Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz and Joaquín Rodrigo, all Spaniards, and Silvestre Revueltas, Carlos Chávez and Blas Galindo Limas, all Mexican, plus Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian, the BSO shone with bright lights in a Hispanic night. Barrueco, a Peabody professor, is no doubt, one of the greatest classical guitarists in the world today, a true disciple of Andrés Segovia, the greatest classical guitarist of all times. Anna Menéndez showed her elegance and magnficent style, honed for years in the Spanish classical and flamenco musical scene. Besides the BSO, Ana has performed with the Detroit and Panamerican symphonies and the Washington Opera. She is very well known in the Baltimore-Washington DC area for her frequent appearances at the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, Lisner Auditorium and as soloist with the Arte Flamenco dance company. Anna's performance at the BSO swept the audience to its feet and stole the show. Congratulations to the BSO and the great performers for a truly memorable night. See other pictures here

Temporada 2002-2003 del Teatro GALA. La primera obra del GALA, El Lugar Ideal del cubano Héctor Quintero, se presentó en el Warehouse Theater en Washington DC el sábado 28 de septiembre, en colaboración con el Washington Performing Arts Society. Héctor Diaz, Eva Salvetti, Harold Ruiz y Ediza Vega, dirigidos por Hugo Medrano pusieron en escena una excelente velada. El Lugar Ideal revela una viñetas de la Cuba actual impensadas hace solo unos años. Quintero es uno de los nuevos dramaturgos cubanos que satiriza los sacrificios de la vida diaria en Cuba. En esta farsa Quintero estudia la ironía del nuevo "boom" turístico en la isla y las tribulaciones diarias de los cubanos tratand0 de adaptarse a ellas. La recomendamos. Llamen al 202-234-7174. Lean la crítica de nuestra corresponsal Hainess Egas aquí.

Fells Point Fun Festival
Like every year, Fells Point and adjacent communities celebrated their Fun Festival. As in the last three years, the 500 and 400 blocks of Broadway extended the festival -thanks to EBLO and Jose Ruiz-- with the Hispanic Plaza with food, music, rides and entertainment. The thousands of visitors (over three quarters of a million) created an incredibly festive atmosphere. As usual, civility reigned and there were very few violent incidents despite the liberal use of alcohol. The Baltimore Police did a very good job as did the other city agencies involved in this type of mass gathering. Food was plentiful, varied and appetizing; entertainment very good; prices suprinsingly affordable by and large and the weather cooperated beautifully with a pair of great Baltimore fall days. Congratulations to Fells Point community and Denise Whittman, the festival coordinator. See more pictures here.

Vote for the Walters Art Museum on November 5th.
If you are a Baltimore City resident, the Walters Art Museum asks for your support at the ballot box in November. Vote "YES" for the City bond bill, which will provide funding for construction of the museum's future building at the corner of Cathedral and Centre streets.
As the museum's curatorial staff and collections expand, this building will be the next step in the Walter's long range plan of service to the community through education, high level scholarship in exhibitions and conservation, and contributing to the economic strength and quality of life in Baltimore.
The new building will have several functions. The center for Learning Through Art will be a community-based space offering programs to help children achieve literacy through art. In the Center for Art and technical Studies, curatorial and conservation staff and fellows will collaborate with colleagues from the academic world and other museums in historical art research, conservation and technical studies, and conservation science. A new tempoary exhibition space of 16,000 square feet will triple the capacity for the Walter's to display art. And expanded exhibition and storage space for the permanent collection will allow the museum to display and house more of its current holdings on-site and to accept important gifts.
Your support is important to the Walters.
Vote "YES" on Tuesday, November 5.