Folk Dance Performances for Children

Youngsters will have opportunities to enjoy folk dance this weekend with two performances at opposite ends of the county, Long Beach and Pasadena. The Aman International Folk Ensemble will offer a one-hour scaled-down version of its dramatic concert-hall spectacular Sunday at the Long Beach Jewish Community Center.

Children can sit up close to the stage in preschooler chairs or stay farther back with their parents in regular chairs. Either way, they’ll be close enough to see the lavish costumes and authentic musical instruments.

The program will include the shaking dance from Croatia, Yugoslavia, a tamburitza orchestra, the whirlwind dance from the Ukraine and end with a dance from Appalachia.

The center is at 3801 E. Willow St. Tickets are $3. Information: (213) 426-7601. The program is limited to children age 5 and older and their parents.

At Beckmann Auditorium on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, families can enjoy a special one-hour performance of Russian song and dance by the group Tziganka. On tour from London, the group features Russian emigres and performers of Russian descent. Dressed in traditional folkloric costumes and accompanied by the balalaika, they will present Russian, Ukrainian, Cossack and Gypsy songs.

The family performance begins at 3 p.m. today. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children and seating is first-come, first-served. There is also a longer performance this evening with higher ticket prices and assigned seats. The auditorium is at 332 S. Michigan Ave. Information: (800) 423-8849.