Families everywhere can enjoy three performances in the acclaimed Just Kidding series, streamed live in high definition direct from NYC’s legendary Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia theatre. Admission is free, and the shows are open to all; RSVP at SymphonySpace.org.
This “Passport to the World” series features three prominent NYC-based family performers who would normally be touring the country. With these shows, Symphony Space carries forward the commitment to accessibility it established through its robust virtual programming during the shutdown of 2020-21. Symphony Space continues to prioritize making the arts available to those unable to attend live theater.
Saturday, January 29 at 11 am EST: Thunderbird American Indian Dancers
Explore the culture and traditions of Indigenous Americans in this fascinating performance of dances, songs, and stories. Dressed in their stunning traditional regalia, Iroquois, Hopi and Lakota tribes share storytelling, music and social dances from various tribes. The cast will explain the story behind each dance. Founded in 1963, the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers is the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York.
Saturday, February 19 at 11 am EST: Sonia De Los Santos
Travel to Mexico and beyond with Latin GRAMMY nominee Sonia De Los Santos and her band in this bilingual concert of songs about hope, home, and gratitude. Sonia De Los Santos was born with a smile on her face (that’s what her mom says) in Monterrey, Mexico, and in 2007 started touring the world, singing in English and Spanish, playing guitar and jarana and lighting up the stage with Dan Zanes and Friends. Sonia’s third album Esperanza is a bilingual collection of songs that explore hope: looking back at our own journey, cherishing our cities and homes, being grateful to one another, dreaming of a better future, marveling at nature, and finding light within ourselves. She will share a newly released song at the show.
Saturday, March at 12 at 11 am EST: Elena Moon Park and Friends
Voyage to East Asia and around the globe as multiple award-winning Elena Moon Park & Friends perform reimagined children’s music, folk songs, and original tunes in a variety of languages. Her newest album Unhurried Journey is a collection of songs for all ages that celebrates the beauty of taking our time to appreciate every moment of our individual and collective journeys. The album is inspired by the artwork of Kristiana Parn and features original songs based on her artwork plus reimagined folk and children’s songs from East and Southeast Asia.
Symphony Space Executive Director Kathy Landau says, “This Just Kidding series transports kids and their families from their living rooms to destinations around the world, introducing them to diverse musical voices and cultures through the joy of performance. With the pandemic continuing, and most artists constrained from touring widely, we continue to bring the magic of the performing arts to our youngest audience members, when a little magic is needed more than ever.
About Symphony Space
Symphony Space already stands out among cultural institutions for the reach of its programming, as its signature series Selected Shorts is heard by public radio and podcast listeners around the world. From the spring of 2020 through the summer of 2021, in an effort to keep its community of artists and audiences connected throughout the pandemic, Symphony Space reimagined the full range of its activities-including Just Kidding-as virtual events, reaching, in the process, audiences in all 50 states and 56 countries.In anticipation of reopening its doors again this fall, the organization made a significant investment in state-of-the-art, multi-camera video streaming systems for its Peter Jay Sharp and Leonard Nimoy Thalia theaters that allow for broadcast in 4K resolution, with a remarkably crisp audio mix.
