Page 43 - Jeffersonville Journal Visitors Guide

Our village of Jeffersonville is a small, tight knit community nestled in rolling hills and surrounded by family owned farms. As we go about our daily
Music, he lectures at colleges in the New York City area and has appeared on national Turkish TV.
lives we may see the same people time and again; in the grocery store, gift or antique stores, at school functions, at the beauty parlor or barber, dining out or simply walking down the street. We have come from near and from far. As in a quilt of many fabrics our community is knit together from diverse backgrounds. This summer we begin a celebration of our various cultures.
On July 16th we will be sampling Italian culture, a culture steeped in the arts, family, music, architecture and food. And what could be more Italian than a picnic with food, wine, art, music and games? The Delaware Valley Opera will bring songs of Italy to our village. There will be culinary demonstrations as well as artists and their crafts and a wine sampling.
On the third Saturday of the months June through September there will be a cultural event on the Main Events Stage in Jeffersonville, located on Main Street directly across from the Post Office. This summer our focus will be on celebrating cultures from around the world. Turkey in June, Italy in July, Brazil in August and China in September. In addition to the events, international flags will be hanging in the village and there will be displays in the library and around town.
The Brazilian martial art of capoeira will be performed on the Main Stage on August 20th. Capoeira, believed to have its origins in 16th century Brazil, is a martial art that combines rhythmic, gymnastic and dancelike movements with music. The two capoeiristas exchange movements of attacks and defense in a constant flow. They are accompanied by a single headed drum and a berimbau, a single stringed instrument. Afro Brazil Arts of New York City will perform and conduct a workshop in this ancient martial art. ABA, under the
Belly Dance performance by Layla Isis
Capoeira from Afro Brazil Arts
direction of Michael Goldstein & Mestre Ombrinho, have been pioneering capoeira programs throughout the New York area, introducing it to thousands of young people each year since 1988. Their program integrates character building, leadership, responsibility, and peer collaboration.
On September 17th we will be celebrating China’s Mid-Autumn festival, one of the four most important Chinese festivals. Moon cakes are a hallmark tradition of this holiday, also known as Moon Cake Day. Moon Cakes are round pastries filled with a rich circular filling eaten in small wedges with Chinese tea. Mid-Autumn Festival is in the middle of the harvest season in China, at a time when the moon is known to be the biggest and brightest. We will also be celebrating this festival with a demonstration and workshop of TaiJi (TaiChi), performances of Guqin, an ancient Chinese stringed instrument, and Dragon Dancers. Our local Guqin players are from Liberty. They will accompany the Dragon Dancers from the New York Chinese Cultural Center.
Our Around the World Jeffersonville events are community events and we welcome input as we celebrate our various heritages. For more information contact Catherine Scott, Lucette Ostergren-Barker at 845-482-4513
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On June 18th as part of our celebration of Turkey we will have a belly dance performance by Layla Isis, a renowned performer, choreographer and oriental dance instructor. Ms Isis brings an impassioned vision of belly dance as a soul stirring, elevated and utterly joyful celebration of life and beauty. She has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brian, Dr. Oz & Martin Scorsese’s new HBO series. Layla Isis will be accompanied by Scott Wilson, an accomplished musician of Turkish music. Mr. Wilson, the son the of the famous belly dancer, Serena Wilson, studied Turkish at NYU. He has recorded many albums of Turkish and Middle Eastern