Folk and Traditional Arts

The Baoting Li and Miao (Hmong) Autonomous County Song and Dance Troupe came to the United States for the first time, giving performances of Miao and Li minority dance and music at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis; Janet Wallace Auditorium at Macalester College in St Paul; and Carleton College Concert Hall in Northfield, Minnesota. They also presented school programs for eight Twin Cities schools at the University of Minnseota's Coffman Union and travelled to Scenic Heights Elementary School in Minnetonka, where they performed for their entire student body. Other outreach activities included a presentation at the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent in St Paul, informal gatherings with Hmong community members and organizations in the Twin Cities and Northfield, and a special interview session with the Women’s Club at Carleton College. The Li and Miao minorities are two of the fifty-six ethnic groups in China. They each have their own distinct cultures, customs, music, dance, folk arts, cuisine, and costumes. All presentations by the Baoting troupe contained both musical and dance performances, as all the troupe members danced, sang, and played on traditional instruments, including nose-blown flutes and leaves from a rubber plant. During the school presentations, the students were invited to participate in the final dance number, to their great delight. 2: The Baoting Li and Miao (Hmong) Autonomous County Song and Dance Troupe came to the United States for the first time, giving performances of Miao and Li minority dance and music at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis; Janet Wallace Auditorium at Macalester College in St Paul; and Carleton College Concert Hall in Northfield, Minnesota. They also presented school programs for eight Twin Cities schools at the University of Minnseota's Coffman Union and travelled to Scenic Heights Elementary School in Minnetonka, where they performed for their entire student body. Other outreach activities included a presentation at the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent in St Paul, informal gatherings with Hmong community members and organizations in the Twin Cities and Northfield, and a special interview session with the Women’s Club at Carleton College. The Li and Miao minorities are two of the fifty-six ethnic groups in China. They each have their own distinct cultures, customs, music, dance, folk arts, cuisine, and costumes. All presentations by the Baoting troupe contained both musical and dance performances, as all the troupe members danced, sang, and played on traditional instruments, including nose-blown flutes and leaves from a rubber plant. During the school presentations, the students were invited to participate in the final dance number, to their great delight.