High energy and fun brought Old Sacramento to life at the Second Annual Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival. 

The two-day festival kicked off Saturday at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center, which featured Angentine tango champions Miriam and Leonardo.  Festivities continued Sunday in Old Sacramento. Both days were a celebration of international cultures through ethnic dancing, musical performances, historical storytelling and traditional reenactments of stories and folktales from all over the world.

Despite the sweltering Sacramento heat, close to 5,000 attendees managed to stay cool under the shade of large tents and trees, and with the aid of popsicles and cold drinks sold by street vendors.

Lina Fat, board chair of the festival and executive chef of Fat's Restaurants, hoped for an even bigger turnout this year by the community. 

"Sacramento was named one of the most diverse cities in the United States," Fat said. "We really wanted to showcase the diversity, and one way to really bring people together is through the medium of music and dance." 

The creation of the largely tented Global Village area brought children and adults together to learn activities relating to the arts, clothing, writing and traditional music. The Village also functioned as an "international market" for artisans and craftspeople, cultural organizations, and non-profit booths including the Crocker Art Museum, and I Am Peace, Japanese Club, and West African Face Painting.

For adventurous and willing participants, free dance workshops were offered.  Audience members could learn everything from West African and Middle Eastern to Irish and old-time European folk dance. 

First-time attendee, Maria, participated in manasa, an American tribal-style belly dance.

"I had fun!" Maria said. She enjoyed the natural flow and grace of moving her body, and is considering taking lessons. 

Jany Saengsawad, The Anime and Japanese Club from Grant Union High School, assisted children and adults make decorative Japanese-style masks. The masks, according to Japanese tradition, were worn on the face for protection and concealment. 

"This is our second year here," said club member Jany Saengsawad. "We are here to promote our club and to just have fun."

First-time attendees Jackie Wait and Katie Hansberry both felt the festival had much to offer to the Sacramento community.

"I really liked the merging of different groups and cultures," Hansberry said. 

"I appreciate the diversity of the music," Wait said. "It's neat seeing all these groups of dancers.  Without coming out to do this, I didn't even know that some of these dances existed." said Wait. 

Two large canvas tents housed all the professional musical and dance performances. At the Passenger Station Stage, located in front of the Discovery Museum, a multitude of ethnic dances troupes included Tong Xin Tai Chi Chinese Team, Kennelly School of Irish Dance and Flamenco Del Oro, which presented both Spanish dance and live music.

The Waterfront Stage, showcased a variety of performances, like Jodama African Drum and Dance, Tezaur-Romanian Dance and Bhaskar's Arts Academy with Indian Dance. 

Jodama, who only goes by her first name, calls her North Highland troupe "Sacramento's best kept secret." She felt proud to to have her company show off different cultural dances from everywhere in Africa, she said.

"We have a different variety of ethnic dancers from Ghana, West Africa, South Africa, Morocco," she said.

"If you feel the music, don't be afraid to stand up and dance!" one Jodama dance member shouted from stage.

Thundering drums, whooping and beating of sticks harmoniously on stage, brought many audience members to their feet cheering and grooving in tune with the tribal beats.

"Many of the villages in Africa would play their music loud and strong to communicate with other neighboring tribes," said dance member Joyce, speaking from the microphone.  Villages would come together for huge celebrations, such as weddings, and communicate their joy through dance, she said.

"We wanted to show the best performers to really celebrate what each rich ethnic group has to offer," Fat said. "We are lucky to have so many people performing right here in Sacramento."

The Second Annual Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival can be found here.

Jodama's African Drum and Dance website can be found here.