ISLANDS IN THE DESERT Concert Plays Utah Cultural Celebration Center Tonight, 8/20

"Islands in the Desert" is a colorful and exciting program featuring Pacific Islander music and dance by local Utah artists carrying on their family and island legacies tonight, August 20 at 8:00 p.m. at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center (1355 West 3100 South, West Valley City, UT). Everyone is invited to this free concert, and the rest of the WorldStage! concerts all summer long.

Ngati Hiona have been performing the Maori Culture from New Zealand in Utah since 1988. With Ko Ngati Hiona you'll witness delightful action songs, the beautiful and skillful twirling Poi dance and the Haka, a thunderous war dance. The group is pleased to share these ancient songs and dances of welcome from the Land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand.

Tausala began in May, 1998 in the two bedroom apartment of Oliva and Fina Schwenke in Tempe, Arizona. The intention of beginning this Samoan-based group was to bring attention to the grace, beauty and excitement of Samoan dance and Samoan dancers. With six Samoan young ladies ages 12 to 15, Tausala began. Fina has since brought the talents of Tausala to Utah, where the group performs at various community events across the Wasatch Front.

Island Traditions: The Polynesian people live on islands in the Pacific Ocean that extend from Easter Island off the coast of South America to Hawaii in the north and all the way south and west to New Zealand. Island Traditions presents dances from many island groups, including Tahiti, Samoa and Tonga that lie within the region of Polynesia.

For more information on this concert or other events at the Cultural Center, call 801-965-5100 or visit culturalcelebration.org.