On Sunday, April 13, 2014, come and enjoy two free events on UCLA campus: Nigerian Talking Drums at Fowler Museum 2-4pm and American Youth Symphony at 7pm at Royce Hall

Once in a while, there are multiple events on UCLA campus for families that make the $12 all day parking all the more palatable.  Fowler Museum hosts a family dance jam program from 2pm to 4pm and the practically professional American Youth Symphony will perform at 7pm at Royce Hall. Details for both events are below.

To get an idea of the kinds of cultural histories exhibited in the museum from home, see the video gallery:  http://fowler.ucla.edu/multimedia/video-gallery and don't miss checking out the globally sourced gift shop with some amazing well-priced souvenirs that everyone can afford.

Family Jam: Nigerian Talking Drums with Francis Awe

Feel the beat with your whole body in this interactive dance class and performance. Presented in conjunction with Fiftieth Anniversary Gifts, II, featuring recently donated works of art from across the African continent.


 

EVENT DETAILS

Family Jam: Nigerian Talking Drums with Francis Awe
Sunday, April 13, 2014
2–4 pm  
Free family program

Fowler Museum closes at 5pm, and I suggest families pack a nice picnic 

dinner to eat at the Shapiro Fountain at the top of Janss Steps just one building away from Fowler.

Here is an interactive UCLA map link:  http://maps.ucla.edu/campus/?locid=86155 where you can search for Shapiro Fountain near Royce Hall.

Enjoy the great program below - reserve your free tickets online and pick up at WILL CALL tables.

Nigel Armstrong, violin

THE ALUMNI PROJECT SUNDAY 13 APRIL 2014 ROYCE HALL 7 PM CONCERT reserve now ALEXANDER TREGER conductor / NIGEL ARMSTRONG violin DEBUSSY An Afternoon of a Faun CHAUSSON Poème, Op. 25 SAINT-SAËNS Introduction et rondo capriccioso Op. 28 STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64 Alumni return to join forces and perform one of Strauss’s largest non-operatic works: the score calls for 125 players, and depicts the spectacular climb up an Alpine mountain-top, from twilight to dusk. Soloist Nigel Armstrong, who trained with the American Youth Symphony from 2008 to 2011 while studying at the Colburn Conservatory, won Fourth Prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011. He continues his ascent to international fame sharing his many talents in tango, bluegrass and classical music performances around the world.

Be Part of Royalty at Getty Center's Family Festival this Saturday, April 12, 2014, from 10am to 6pm

One of the best things about living in Los Angeles is catching the free family festivals at both Getty Center and Getty Villa.  The only cost is your parking.  Even though the festival begins officially at 10am, my recommendation is to arrive at 9am when the trams start running and enjoy the quiet before the crowds arrive.  You might want to go to the LA Opera performances at the museum lecture hall a little early.  The new thing in this festival relating to the photographic exhibition about Queen Victoria is the "snap yourself" activity where you can take photos of a royal you and create an album ... or send your photos as postcards to your "subjects' in the far reaches of the British Empire or to family and friends wherever they are.  Don't forget to bring all your addresses to mail your photos as Getty Center will mail your postcard photos anywhere in the world.  I can assure you that this is true and my international recipients confirmed that they received their postcards :)  So this is one festival that you might want to dress up royally for the photos!   Enjoy the musical performances, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado performed by Pacific Opera Project and LA Opera singing parlour songs!  Don't forget to see the amazing exhibits at Getty Center, its architectural beauty and its beautiful gardens.  There is a separate succulent garden high within the building that is somewhat hidden, overseeing a beautiful view of the city.

	Pacific Opera Project. Photo: Martha Benedict

Family Festival celebrating A Royal Passion: Queen Victoria and Photography

Date: Saturday, April 12, 2014
Time: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Admission: Free; no reservations required.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Her royal majesty Queen Victoria invites young and old alike to journey to her 19th-century realm via the magical world of photography and the excitement of a family festival. Visitors can enjoy the majestic bagpipe sounds of the Queen's beloved Scotland, sing along to boisterous English music hall tunes, revel in the topsy-turvy world of Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and have pictures taken to create a personal "carte de visite." Girls and boys can even make their own royal crown at a hands-on workshop. Kids of all ages can remember the day for the rest of his or her reign with a photo album of this royal visit to the Getty Center.

MUSEUM COURTYARD STAGE

Ian Whitcomb and The Bungalow Boys — 
British Music Hall Tunes
11:00–11:45 a.m. and 2:45–3:30 p.m.

These wide-ranging entertainers will present a program of songs, stories and monologues, as heard in the British music halls in their heyday of the late 1890s to early 1900s. The Bungalow Boys are a floating all-acoustic band specializing in classic American and British songs and have been performing with Whitcomb for 30 years.

	Photo: Adam A. Lohnes

Ian Whitelaw
12:15–12:45 p.m. and 4:00–4:30 p.m.

A world-renowned musician of 47 years, Ian Whitelaw brings his passion for highland music and dance to the Getty. Playing the Highland Bagpipe, Whitelaw and friends will present this remarkable instrument along with highland dancing for audiences of all ages to enjoy. Whitelaw will also be playing bagpipes throughout the day in various locations.

Pacific Opera Project (POP)
1:15–2:00 p.m. and 5:00–5:45 p.m.

Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular operetta, The Mikado, has been delighting audiences since its premiere in 1885. In typical POP style, this classic is transported from the days of Japanese royalty in elaborate silk kimonos to gritty, modern-day Harajuku costume. Bold colors, eye-catching patterns, exotic garments (cut 'types') and interesting piercings abound to give this beloved classic a POP-worthy twist. POP brings eight singers to the Getty for a shortened version of this crowd-pleasing production. Perfect for all ages! 

Snap Yourself
11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Have your photo taken and then share them with your friends or subjects, much like Queen Victoria did in her day. Each picture will be printed with six images of the same photo so that you can also use them in the Festival workshops. 

	Photo: Aaron Paley

MUSEUM LECTURE HALL

At home with LA Opera: 
Songs from the Victorian Parlour
Noon–12:45 p.m. and 2:15–3:00 p.m.

LA Opera artists invite you to "join them in the parlour" for an afternoon around the piano as they perform popular and beloved songs of the 19th century. As the Victorian era progressed, more families were able to afford the luxury of a musical instrument and training. Families often enjoyed recreational music-making together before the arrival of the phonograph and radio. Some of the earliest parlour songs were adaptations of operatic hits and older folk ballads, inspired by love and nature. Later in the 19th century, composers such as Stephen Foster began to specifically compose and publish songs intended for amateur performance. Ironically, these very popular parlour songs were soon taken up by professional singers for public recitals!

"Home Sweet Home," "Beautiful Dreamer," "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," "Vine, Vine and Eglantine," and "After the Ball" are a few of the delightful songs that will be performed...just don't be surprised if you are asked to sing along! 

WORKSHOPS
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Want to be Royal?
Girls and boys can make fun or elaborate tiaras and crowns, and imagine what it would be like to be Queen or King of the Getty.

Make a Photo Album
Participants can organize their Snap Yourself photos taken in the courtyard into a miniature photo album to remember their time as rulers of the Getty.

Portrait Postcards
Children can use one of the photos taken at Snap Yourself in the courtyard and turn it into a postcard to mail to family or friends.

Come and be inspired by UCLA Women's Gymnasts - with 5 Olympians at UCLA, including Beijing Olympics' Silver Medallist, Sam Peszek, this Sunday, March 16, 2014, at 2pm at Pauley Pavillion

Watching UCLA women gymnasts in action at UCLA's Pauley Pavillion at their last meet against Stanford was like being at the Olympics at a fraction of the cost :)  After all, UCLA has 5 Olympians on their team, including Sam Peszek, who won the silver medal at Beijing Olympics.  If you want to learn more about how demanding training for Olympics was while doing regular high school (instead of homeschooling as so many top gymnasts and ballerinas do), here's a three-part youtube series to see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP3cMXChaxc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvW44Y96Fws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYCedLD0mU0

We saw a floor routine by Sydney Sawa that was judged a perfect 10!  The UCLA Head Coach, Ms. Kondo, was a former professional ballerina!  We also saw a special end of the meet performance by an aerialist who happened to be born without legs which was awe-inspiring indeed.

Learn  more about the Ms. Val here and her transition from being a ballerina to coaching gymnastics:
http://www.gymnastike.org/coverage/234782-UCLA-Gymnastics/video/175293-Valorie-Kondos-Field-From-Ballerina-to-Head Coach
http://dailybruin.com/2010/10/14/gymnastics_coach_valorie_kondos_field_took_john_woodens_teachings_from_the_court_to_the_mat/

You have to watch these videos to see how amazingly strong the gymnasts are, in a completely different way that lithe ballerinas are very strong.   These are two perfect 10 routines :) from UCLA this season on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkNQ6nhUiSM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gkgf4BNZSU
(then see her team-mates imitate Sydney Sawa here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S79o97qbclw)

So, we are going again to see UCLA's final home meet this Sunday, March 16, compete against two other teams, Utah State and Bowling Green, in a tri-meet.  UCLA is now ranked 7th and will go on to the NCAA championships.  Gymnasts are also nationally ranked for their best apparatus. "Five Bruin gymnasts are ranked this week - Olivia Courtney (No. 9 on vault), Sophina DeJesus (No. 11 on bars), Samantha Peszek (No. 5 on beam, No. 16 on bars), Danusia Francis (No. 2 on beam), and Sydney Sawa (No. 6 on floor)."  Read more at:  http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=209434383

You might even catch sight of UCLA's team manager, the London 2012 Olympic gold medalist and UCLA freshman Jordyn Wieber, who has just turned professional last year and is not eligible to compete for UCLA, but she still trains privately.  Read more at:  http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/q-a-olympic-gymnastics-champion-250038.aspx

Here's a youtube of a conversation between two Olympians, Sam Peszek interviewing Jordynn Wieber at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3V1F1EHE_Q&feature=youtu.be

If you have never been to a women's gymnastics meet, it is run in the same order as at the Olympics. There is usually a routine going on on some apparatus for each team.  Yet, it is not confusing as the scores for each team is announced just before their next routine.  You might catch a perfect performance, and you will certainly see falls and nerves, and every gymnast doing their best for their team.  But it is always exciting and inspiring.

Last time, we wore blue to cheer UCLA.   This Sunday, it is a Bruin Blackout!  UCLA will be wearing black leotards for the first time in almost 10 years, and fans are encouraged to wear BLACK this time.

If you would like to join my group's fieldtrip to see the UCLA women gymnasts, please email me at reallykf@gmail.com as we can accommodate more people in my group and you will be pleased you did.  I am hoping to get more UCLA poms poms and might have some posters or folders as souvenirs.

If you are bringing younger children, children two and under do not need tickets.  While the meet is going on, you can also leave your seats and walk around, get snacks (or bring your own), use the restrooms, or go and take photos with the cut-outs of the gymnasts.  If you are coming to UCLA for the first time, go to the fee-free Fowler Museum on campus after 4pm for an hour before they close.  Or drive over to Westwood Blvd and Wilshire to enjoy the now-free Hammer Museum to enjoy their collections.

Finally, if you cannot attend this event live, please note that this event will be telecast live!  
Fans not in attendance can watch Sunday’s meet on a live video stream at www.pac-12.com/videos/ucla. Video footage will focus on UCLA as three events are running simultaneously. Live stats will be available atuclabruins.com, and live updates can be found on Twitter by following @UCLAGymnastics.

Arena Map
View the Pauley Pavilion arena map by CLICKING HERE.

Parking
Pauley Pavilion is easily accessible from Lots 4, 7 and 8 ($12 per vehicle). Click HERE for a detailed map of parking structures. The main UCLA campus map with additional parking information is located HERE.

Directions
Directions to a number of on-campus UCLA facilities can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Have a great day watching UCLA women gymnasts compete, at home or at Pauley Pavillion.

UPDATE:   Here's the youtube of the perfect 10 on the beam by Danusia Francis :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ5rgaVIlM8

Saturday, March 8, 2014, from 9am to 12.30pm at El Camino College's ONIZUKA SPACE DAY - meet a NASA astronaut and Do, Observe, and Have Fun with Science

Enjoyed seeing the movie Gravity??  Now you have a chance to ask a REAL NASA Astronaut, DOUGLAS H. WHEELOCK, what is fact/real science and what is fiction/Hollywood creativity!  He will be sharing his experiences from his 178 days in space at the space station and all the real problems he had to deal with in HIS unplanned space walks to fix damages.  Colonel Wheelock also "responded to an emergency shutdown of half of the station’s external cooling system and was the lead spacewalker for three unplanned EVAs to replace the faulty ammonia pump module that caused the shutdown. His efforts restored the station’s critical cooling system to full function."  Read more about this real astronaut hero at:  http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/wheelock.html and if he doesn't talk about this, ask him about it either at the auditorium presentation at 9am, or in the "meet-the-astronaut" session if the astronaut has time to stay.  Over the years, we have met many real astronauts and seen many different presentations, including those from Japan.  Onizuka Space Science Day is held annually to honor the Challenger crew, one of whom was Astronaut Onizuka, whose family is present each year.

Known Space Debris 

                  


This is our favorite science event of the year because, unlike JPL's open house, your children can participate in egg-drop contests (and win a 2014 Onizuka Space Day t-shirt if your egg survives unbroken from a drop from the top of a three-storey building), paper airplane contests, and many interesting physics and chemistry demonstrations, an excellent planetarium show where you will remember what you learned from a professor and what you will see on March 9 nightsky), and many more (see the list below).  The Astronaut's presentation and all sidewalk science tables require no tickets, so even younger children can enjoy these hands-on activities.  Sessions are recommended for 5th graders and up, but any younger children who love science will benefit and my kids have been doing the egg drop contest since younger elementary grades.  If you see the egg-drop contest, be prepared to have your lunch while watching the survival of the best protected eggs in free fall.  We enjoy seeing new designs each year :)  I also volunteer each year to draw a happy face  :)  on the eggs for the session my children are in.

This event is free (parking is $3) and so are session tickets, and, having done this many years, it is best if you come early if you want to get the most popular session tickets.  I usually get there before 7am (yes!) because I make a group reservation for my friends and families coming for the first time.  I can collect up to 6 tickets for each session (so 12 per topic since the sessions repeat) at the beginning of the line since I stand in line before 7am.  There are 800 free In-and-Out lunch tickets only, and the line is pretty long by 8am when official check-in happens, and the most sought after tickets are taken quickly.  So, if you would like to join my group, I am happy to get tickets for your top two choices of session tickets.  Please note that the session reservation is on the first-come, first allocated tickets --- I can only get 6 tickets per session.

I would also be very happy if you would donate a suggested $10 per family towards our Orang Utan fund which will go towards creating a child-friendly website to share more about Orang Utans, their environment, and what we can do to save the species.  You can see this very gentle ape species in the "Red Apes" enclosure  at Los Angeles Zoo. The Orang Utan donation is optional, and much appreciated.

If you want me to get your session tickets ahead of time, you don't need to stand in line at all.  You can come as late as 8.45am before the astronaut presentation at 9am (usually delayed a bit if check-in takes longer) and meet me at one of the inside doors to the auditorium where the ONLY water fountain is to pick up your tickets if you don't meet me outside earlier via phone contact.  Please email me at reallykf@gmail.com for your three top choices of session tickets, your cell contact, and what time you can arrive at El Camino College.

Here are details from various sessions and logistics of the day for Onizuka Space Science Day Program 2014:

See Tonight’s Stars, Planets, and Constellations - Planetarium Show

PARTICIPANTS MUST BE ON TIME – PLANETARIUM DOORS SHUT PROMPTLY AT THE START OF THE SHOW!

Let’s Do Launch! (Rockets)

NASA Mars Missions

Chemical Magic Show

Paint Making – Prussian Blue

Dude, Where’s My Air?

Hypothesis Game

Satellite Demonstration

The Buzz on Space “Bugs”

Rad Reptiles

The World of Insects

Rock and Fossil Discovery Zone

Solving the Mystery of the Owl’s Dinner

Paper Airplane Contest*

Egg Drop Construction*

Puzzlers in Everyday Physics

Let’s Take a BirdWalk!

ROV’s and the Deep Ocean

Robotics Demonstration

Get Your Hands on Chemistry

Paper Airplane Contest*

Egg Drop Construction

Puzzlers in Everyday Physics - Recommended for grade 6 and older

WARNING – PARKING PERMITS REQUIRED FOR 2014

PARKING PERMITS ARE REQUIRED! – PLEASE PURCHASE A $3 DAILY PERMIT AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRANCES TO THE PARKING LOTS IN THE YELLOW DISPENSERS

The day will begin at 8 a.m. with check-in at the Marsee Auditorium located at the corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Redondo Beach Blvd in Torrance. Parking is located south and west the Marsee Auditorium.  See map at www.elcamino.edu or www.elcamino.edu/about/directions.asp

Parents, adults and siblings below grade 5 are asked not to select tickets to the breakout sessions for themselves. Adults will be able to stand in or outside of the classrooms or you may enjoy our outside demonstrations. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Again, we want the students to access the breakout sessions.    

After selecting your sessions, find a seat in the Marsee Auditorium by 9 a.m. for our morning presentation featuring our astronaut.  The first breakout session will run from 10:45 to 11:30 and the second session will begin at 11:45 and end at 12:30. Lunch will follow the second session and the Egg Drop Competition will be presented during lunch.

HAVE A GREAT DAY RAIN OR SHINE!!

Welcome the 2014 Chinese New Year - Year of the Horse - and enjoy various celebrations in Los Angeles with your family

The first day of Chinese New Year in 2014 falls on January 31 this year and it heralds the year of the Horse!  If you are turning 12, 24, 36, and 48 (you get the idea!) soon, you were born in the year of the horse.

The weeks before Chinese New Year are busy days of spring-cleaning for Chinese families to get rid of last year's bad luck and to welcome in the new year's good luck!  Hence, all the new red decorations, lucky bamboo plants, and all symbolic new year decorations. Did you know the Chinese traditionally never sweeps dirt out of the doorway out of the house to avoid sweeping out good luck?  Tip: Always pick up the dirt inside the house's door threshold  in a dustpan and dispose separately.  

The "practicing" Chinese believe you can do a lot to actively attract the good and to avoid the bad.

Examples are practicing Tai chi for daily meditative physical exercise, stimulating your accupressure points to get your qi (energy) circulating smoothly and to induce good health by improving your immune system. There are specific points for specific ailments.  Eating a healthy balance of "heaty" and cooling foods or specifically for an organ that is challenged or a condition.  My East-West medicine doctor at UCLA diagnosed a spleen deficiency and recommended spleen tonic foods in the tradition of food as medicine.  He also ordered health check blood tests.  As a retired Caucasian Chinese doctor who teaches accupressure say, "There is no illness but blocked circulation."  In other words, you don't have to be born Chinese to be a "practicing" Chinese health practioner :)

So, here's wishing you a healthy year of the horse :)

Read more about new year preparations and origins of New Year traditions in these links:

http://www.history.com/topics/chinese-new-year
http://www.history.com/topics/chinese-new-year-traditions-and-symbols
http://www.china-family-adventure.com/chinese-new-year-traditions.html#.UuRX6hCwrIU
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/spring-festival.htm

In Los Angeles, if you are adventurous and your children can stay up to midnight on a weekday, participate in the Midnight Temple Ceremony on the eve of New Year on Thursdays night!  If you have never been in Chinatown for the grand parade, this year's parade should feature horses.  A few years ago, a live Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in a shopping cart was part of the Year of the Pig celebration parade. Go for a early lunch in Chinatown and find a nice spot for your parade viewing.  Bring snacks and entertaining games you can play while waiting in your good spot.   If you would like to give a good luck red packet to the lion dancer, place an even amount of money inside the red packet (say, $2, $4, but not an odd number $5 note) and "feed" them to the dancing lions for good luck.  You will need to wave to the dancing lions and wave to show your red packet and the lion dancers will come to you and take it through its mouth!  This is a wonderful experience for your children and a great photo memory.   I suggest taking the Gold Line metrolink which stops right near the parade and save parking hassles in Chinatown during Chinese New Year.

We have never been to the Citadel Outlets, but there is also a musical performance on the same day as the parade if you wanted something quieter than a parade.

For the first time and in a big way, Santa Monica Place is celebrating the whole 15 days of the Lunar Chinese New Year with events scheduled until Feb 14 on Valentine's day.  I have included details of the public schedule below and it looks like a very manageable way to enjoy some Chinese cultural arts demonstrations, music and performances in a very comfortable mall setting.

Finally, on March 1, don't miss Chinese American Museum's annual all day celebration of the Chinese Lantern Festival which we have always enjoyed!

Enjoy the 15 days of Chinese New Year celebrations :)  It is a family celebration indeed.

Wishing all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year, as the traditional greeting goes!

Details of all events below:

JAN. 30: MIDNIGHT TEMPLE CEREMONY - CHINATOWN

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Downtown LA’s historic Chinatown kicks off the Year of the Horse with a traditional celebration at Thien Hau Temple. The Midnight Temple Ceremony takes place from 10 p.m. to midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve - Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014. Attendees can participate in traditional incense burning, make offerings to deities, watch lion dances, and witness 500,000 firecrackers in action at one of LA’s grandest temples. The temple ceremony is free and open to the public.

FEB. 1-2: 
CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL -CHINATOWN

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The annual Chinese New Year Festival is taking place in Chinatown on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 1-2, 2014. The weekend festival takes place at several venues in Chinatown. The Central Plaza Stage features live performances, vendors, gourmet food trucks, and a craft beer garden. The West Plaza features numerous cultural artisans, including brush painting, calligraphy, sculpture and magic. The Spring Festival on Spring features live bands on Saturday only, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Weekend festival hours are noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to all festival events is free.

FEB. 1: GOLDEN DRAGON PARADE

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The highlight of Downtown’s Chinese New Year Festival weekend is the 115th Annual Golden Dragon Parade, taking place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014. Thousands of spectators line the parade route, which begins at Hill and Ord Streets and ends at Broadway and Cesar Chavez. The parade features dozens of floats, marching bands, entertainers, local business leaders and cultural groups. The 2014 Grand Marshal is Mayor Eric Garcetti. 

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On Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, Santa Monica Place kicks off its six-day celebration of Chinese New Year. The celebration is free and open to the public. The featured entertainment and presentations are based on authentic Chinese traditions, including: a traditional Chinese dragon dance; live Chinese classical music; Chinese ribbon dancers; Chinese stilt walkers; a Wishing Tree; crafts; a festive Chinese photo backdrop; and much more. The Chinese New Year celebration also offers food tastings by Santa Monica Place restaurants and Mandarin-speaking greeters. The celebration is taking place on Friday, Jan. 31 to Sunday, Feb. 2; Saturday, Feb. 8 to Sunday, Feb. 9; and Friday, February 14. Scheduled event times are 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

JAN. 31 - FEB. 14: SANTA MONICA PLACE

Chinese New Year Festival at Santa Monica Place

January 31, 2014 through February 14, 2014

On January 31, Santa Monica Place will kick-off a six-day celebration of the Chinese New Year that marks the Year of the Horse. Also known as the Spring Festival, the celebration will feature entertainment and presentations based on authentic Chinese traditions such as the traditional Chinese Dragon Dance, live music entertainment by a Chinese classical musical ensemble using native instruments, Chinese Ribbon Dancers, Chinese Stilt Walkers, a New Year’s Wishing Tree, a Chinese Henna Tattoo artist, Chinese children's crafts, the Chinese Dough Art, complimentary fortune cookies and a festive Chinese photo backdrop that will be available for guests to capture the magic of the Chinese New Year Festival.

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 31

The Market1:30-4PM Chinese Dough Artist
6-8:30PM Chinese Henna tattoo artist
Center Plaza1:30-4PM Live music entertainment by Chinese classical music ensemble and Chinese ribbon dancing
6-6:30PM Live music entertainment by Chinese classical music ensemble
6:30-6:50PM Traditional Chinese Dragon Dance
6:50-8:30PM Live music entertainment by Chinese classical music ensemble
1:30-4PM & 6-8:30PM Chinese stilt walkers to perform throughout Santa Monica Place

Saturday, February 1

The Market1:30-4PM Chinese Dough Artist​​​
6-8:30PM Chinese Henna tattoo artist and Chinese stilt walker
Center Plaza1:30-4PM Live music entertainment by Chinese classical music ensemble and Chinese ribbon dancing
6-6:30PM Live music entertainment/performances
6:30-6:50PMTraditional Chinese Dragon Dance
6:50-8:30PM Live music entertainment by Chinese classical music ensemble
1:30-4PM & 6-8:30PM Chinese stilt walkers to perform throughout Santa Monica Place

Sunday, February 2

The Market1:30-4PM Chinese Dough Artist
6-8:30PM Chinese Henna tattoo artist and Chinese stilt walker
Center Plaza1:30-4PM Live music entertainment by Chinese classical music ensemble and Chinese ribbon dancing
6-6:30 Live music entertainment
6:30-6:50PM Traditional Chinese Dragon Dance
6:50-8:30PM Live music entertainment/performance
1:30-4PM & 6-8:30PM Chinese stilt walkers to perform throughout Santa Monica Place

Saturday, February 8

The Market6-8:30PM Chinese Henna tattoo artist
Center Plaza1:30-4PM Live music entertainment/performance with Chinese harp and traditional flute
6-8:30PM Live music entertainment/performance with Chinese harp and traditional flute

Sunday, February 9

The Market6-8:30PM Chinese Henna tattoo artist
Center Plaza1:30-4PM Live music entertainment/performance with Chinese harp and traditional flute
6-8:30PM Live music entertainment/performance with Chinese harp and traditional flute

Friday, February 14

The Market6-8:30PM Chinese Henna tattoo artist
Center Plaza1:30-4PM Live music entertainment/performance with Chinese harp and traditional flute
6-8:30PM Live music entertainment/performance with Chinese harp and traditional flute

http://santamonicaplace.com/Events/Details/195592?startDate=1/31/2014

FEB. 1: CITADEL OUTLETS

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Located just ten minutes south of Downtown LA, the Citadel Outlets features over 115 top brand-name stores and restaurants in a historic 1929 building designed to resemble an Assyrian castle. On Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, Citadel Outlets presents a Chinese New Year celebration with holiday décor, music, and live entertainment. A live performance by the Los Angeles Chinese Cultural Center (LACCC) is taking place from noon to 3 p.m. in the Center Court.

MAR. 1: LANTERN FESTIVAL - CAM

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Located in the oldest and last surviving structure of LA’s original Chinatown, the Chinese American Museum (CAM) is the first museum in Southern California dedicated to the Chinese American experience and history in this region. The annual Lantern Festival is one of the museum’s signature events and a beloved community tradition. A hugely popular holiday in the Chinese culture, the Lantern Festival occurs on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. The CAM Lantern Festival re-creates a traditional village street fair with brilliant lantern displays; exciting musical, acrobatic and lion dance performances; arts and crafts booths; and a dazzling glow-in-the-dark silver dragon stage performance to close out the evening. Other activities include Chinese opera-style face painting, kite building, Chinese paper-cutting, calligraphy, and much more. CAM’s 13th Annual Lantern Festival celebration is taking place on Saturday, March 1, 2014, from noon to 10 p.m. Admission is free.

Three Events at Hammer Museum on Sunday January 26 - Rivers and Tides, Animal Dream Theatre (an art/writing workshop), and dance movement performance at Black Forest

This Sunday, enjoy one or two of these events on Sunday January 26 from 11am onwards with your family.

Hammer Museum exhibits are always free on Thursdays and there is a free lunch hour 30-minute Mindful Awareness guided meditation that is worth experiencing.

Sunday JANUARY 26th, 2014.

11:00am

Hammer Kids

SAVE TO CALENDAR

FAMILY FLICKS FILM SERIES | RIVERS AND TIDES

FAMILY FLICKS FILM SERIES | RIVERS AND TIDES

Co-presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive

Recommended for all ages

A mesmerizing portrait of art in the natural world, Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time follows the Scottish artist as he works outdoors, crafting stunning, ephemeral sculptures out of leaves, rocks, ice, and other natural elements. Children of all ages—and anyone who has built a sandcastle on the beach—will recognize a kindred spirit in Goldsworthy. (2001, Dir. T. Riedelsheimer, 35mm, color, 90 min.)

ALL HAMMER PUBLIC PROGRAMS ARE FREE.
Assigned seating is available in the Billy Wilder Theater. Free tickets are required and available at the Box Office, one ticket per person on a first come, first served basis. Members enjoy priority seating and seat selection, subject to availability. Membership does not guarantee seating. Arrival at least one half hour prior to program time is recommended.

Parking is available under the museum for a flat rate of $3 on weekends. 

12:00pm

Hammer Kids

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SUNDAY AFTERNOONS FOR KIDS: ANIMAL DREAM THEATER

SUNDAY AFTERNOONS FOR KIDS: ANIMAL DREAM THEATER

Inspired by alebrijes, the fantastical animal sculptures originating from Mexico, students write and perform dream-like puppet plays featuring alebrijes of their own creation. Led by teaching artist Karla Aguíñiga.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR KIDS
The Hammer’s free collaborative workshops, presented with 826LA, are designed for groups of up to 20 students.Reservations are encouraged. Please visit workshops.826la.org or call 310-915-0200. 

02:00pm

Hammer Presents

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KELLY NIPPER: BLACK FOREST PERFORMANCE

KELLY NIPPER: BLACK FOREST PERFORMANCE

As part of artist Kelly Nipper's Black Forest, there will be 11 performances by the dancer Marissa Ruazol. Taking place in the gallery among the artworks, the performances are rooted in a system of movement description called Laban Movement Analysis. Laban's method provides a vocabulary and a conceptual framework for investigating and understanding time, space, and motion as primary materials.