Weekend Outings- March 23-25

Elsa Ruiz photo

Little Learners Art Exhibit @ NY Studio Gallery

154 Stanton St. • New York, NY 10002

212.627.3276

Monday through Friday from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M.

Saturday from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.

The exhibit features the work of pre-kindergarten through second-grade students from 25 schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

source 

Opening Ceremony in Washington, DC 

Day: Sunday, 3/25/12 : March 20-April 27, 2012
Time: 5 – 6:30 PM; doors open at 3:30 PM
Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Cost: FREE; Advance Ticketing Required
P: 877.44.BLOOM (877.442.5666)

Featured Performers

Sara Bareilles
MISIA
Hideki Togi with Iwao Furusawa
Children’s Chorus of Washington
Denyce Graves-Montgomery
The Washington Ballet
TAIKOPROJECT
Samurai Sword Soul
CIRQUETACULAR
 

To launch the Centennial Celebration, the National Cherry Blossom Festival will collaborate with local and national entertainment to welcome springtime to Washington, DC. Guests will experience the story of how the gift of trees has developed into the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, as told through a series of traditional and contemporary performances.

Headlining the event is Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and pianist Sara Bareilles. She became a household name with her chart-topping hit “Love Song,” and released her second album, Kaleidoscope Heart, in 2010. Performing at the Ceremony is especially meaningful for Bareilles, as she participated in Japan relief and humanitarian efforts with All Hands Volunteers while touring overseas. Bareilles is set to release her documentary “A Trace of the Sun: Volunteering in Japan,” based on her experience volunteering in the city of Ofunato, on March 23 on VEVO.

MISIA, Japan’s most popular female R&B recording artist, inspired by American R&B music, thrills the crowd with her powerful five-octave range. A native of Nagasaki, Japan, she has earned world-wide acclaim, entertaining millions and selling over 30 million CDs. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, MISIA tirelessly promoted the campaign ‘HOPE FOR JAPAN,’ raising money to support afflicted children. At the request of the Government of Japan she will perform to express the gratitude of the Japanese people for the support provided from the United States.

With the cooperation of the Government of Japan, Hideki Togi will bring a contemporary element combined with a traditional sound to this year’s event. He plays the Japanese National Anthem with Iwao Furusawa, the multi award winning violinist who makes the world his stage. Togi is also accompanied by the Children’s Chorus of Washington, led by Japanese executive director Nao Tsurumaki, and comprised of 150 singers ages 9-18.

DC-native Denyce Graves-Montgomery is a mezzo-soprano whose career has taken her to the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. She sings the United States national anthem and entices audiences with her rich vocalism, expression and dynamic stage presence.

The Washington Ballet, one of the pre-eminent ballet organizations in the United States, performs an intricate dance inspired by ALICE (In Wonderland), prior to its April 11 world premiere at The Kennedy Center.

TAIKOPROJECT energizes and electrifies with an American style of taiko, blending the traditional drumming form with an innovative and fresh aesthetic approach.  

Samurai Sword Soul excites the audience with beautiful Japanese sword-fighting choreographed to traditional and rock music, and  

CIRQUETACULAR transfixes audiences from above with an intricate aerial performance.