The sixth annual Ida'ina Gathering, hosted by the Tebughna Foundation, will present several of the most prominent Native American performers during the celebration, April 23 and 24 in the Egan Convention Center in downtown Anchorage.
Among the new-to-Ida'ina performers this year is Derrick Suwaima Davis of Arizona, of the Hopi and Choctaw tribes. Davis has won the Hoop Dance World Championship seven times, a record.
Navajo hoop dancer and fancy dancer Lowery Begay will be making a return trip to Ida'ina – the Dena'ina word for "friendship." He'll be joined by Ronny Preston, known for his performances of the Grass Dance, one of the oldest surviving tribal dances in America. A number of local performers of both traditional Alaskan and Lower 48 dances will also take part. In previous years we've seen local Irish dancers take the stage. The audience is likewise welcome to join in the many invitational and friendship dances that take place during the two day event.
It's billed as the largest inter-tribal gathering in Alaska. In previous years upwards of 6,000 people have attended, said Tebughna's executive director Emil McCord. "This year we expect a little more," he said, "because we have popular groups coming."
The Tebughna Foundation is a non-profit group formed to preserve and promote traditional culture for the community of Tyonek and shareholders of the Tyonek Native Corporation.
The festivities, which include food vendors and craft tables, are open to all. Admission is $5 at the door and the hours are noon-11 p.m. Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday.
Sounds of spring
There'll be a bunch of concerts in Anchorage and the Mat-Su as we cap off the season. A couple this weekend are particularly recommended:
The UAA Guitar Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, in the UAA Recital Hall. Works will range from a Vivaldi guitar concerto to Celtic and Brazilian-inspired compositions. We hear some guest soloists will join members of the ensemble for some delicious duets. Admission is $7 and tickets are available at uaatix.net.
The UAA Recital Hall will also be the venue for the Anchorage Festival of Music's popular Spring Soiree at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 24. The "Baroque Cabaret" program will present some of the music from the 17th and 18th centuries that you probably didn't hear in music appreciation class – vaudevilles, fandangos and burlesques by some of the names we now think of as somber "old masters." They include an amusement devoted to birds, Marin Marais' musical tribute to his gall bladder operation (in 1725! Ouch!) and a two-performer duel from the time when pianos were beginning to challenge harpsichords for the title of king of the keyboards. There'll also be some fond modern takes on the baroque, Bach turned into jazz, Claude Bolling's "Baroque and Blue" and the very silly audio comedy of P.D.Q. Bach. Refreshments and beverages will follow the concert. Tickets are available at centertix.net.
Poetry and beer
The closing quatrain of National Poetry Month will happen at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28 when the Classic Slam returns to the Tap Root in Spenard. A panel of celebrities that includes Duke Russell, Shirley Mae Staten and Vic Fischer will sit in judgment over versifiers who will compete in three rounds. The audience will pick their favorite. There will be a "sacrificial poet" led to slaughter and cash prizes for the winners.
Long-time slam veteran Camille Conte will emcee the show. Participating poets must have four original poems not previously performed at an Anchorage slam and the recitations can't go past three minutes. Sign up at the door between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door or $12 in advance at www.facebook.com/events/227279864295698.
Pulitzer Prize-winner in Palmer
The Alaska Humanities Forum presents investigative journalist Clifford J. Levy in a talk at Fireside Books, 720 S. Alaska Street in Palmer. Levy won his first Pulitzer Prize for a series on the abuse of the mentally ill in state-regulated homes in New York City and his second for a series about human rights and freedom of speech in Russia. His talk takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24 and is free.
Final curtains
Three plays, all well worth the price of admission, have their final shows this weekend, "Rapture, Blister, Burn" at Cyrano's, "Stalking the Bogeyman" at UAA and Perseverance Theatre's production of "In the Next Room" aka "the vibrator play" at Sydney Laurence Theatre. All three have shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday so in theory you can catch 'em all if you haven't seen any yet. "Death-Trap" opens at Anchorage Community Theatre on April 22 and runs through May 15.
["Stalking the Bogeyman" opens at UAA.]
[REVIEW: "Rapture, Blister, Burn" investigates feminist theory from all angles.]
Champion Yupik spellers
The Statewide Yup'ik Spelling Bee will take place starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 23. Competitors from the western part of the state as well as Anchorage will take part. The spell-off takes place in Room 106 of UAA's Gorsuch Commons, that's the student housing area off Elmore Road. Park in the Willow Visitor lot.
Off the trail
Alaska author and illustrator Jon Van Zyle will release his latest book at a reception at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 at Arctic Rose Gallery, 1445 W. Northern Lights Blvd. The new book is an autobiography titled, "My Colorful Life of Art and Adventure." The event includes a conversation with Van Zyle. The artist long associated with the Iditarod race has sold something like 40 million copies of his books around the world. So even though the event is free, you may want to reserve a seat. If so, call 907-279-3911.