Accenting the Positive

One saw his family’s business burn to ash. One found a bullet on her living room floor. Those old enough remember the choking smoke and the National Guard tanks. Los Angeles children have their own memories of April 29, 1992--when the riots began, six years ago today.

But tonight, some of those children will put their city in a different spotlight when they and about 500 other school-age musicians, actors and dancers from Los Angeles public and private schools take the stage at the Greek Theatre for the fourth annual Youth at the Greek Music Festival.

The event was created in the aftermath of the riots to promote healing and unification of children citywide through music and performance.

Tonight, there will be no awards or prizes, no certificates or ribbons, just youngsters enjoying other youngsters and celebrating one another.

“The real importance of the experience,” said event Chairwoman Marilyn Bush, “is the appreciation the children have for not only their own ethnic or racial group, but for others. Hopefully, they’ll treat each other differently afterward as they go about their lives. That’s what this is all about.”

South Gate High School sophomore Joshua Barron said he would be “chillin’ ” before tonight’s performance. An audience of more than 5,000 family members, friends and other supporters is expected.

Joshua is one of 16 members of South Gate’s Swing Kids dance ensemble who have been doing the Charleston six days a week since January in preparation.

Swinging, they said, provides a welcome diversion from algebra and English literature--and the troubles of city life.

“I’m not out there being in a gang or something,” said Sergio Pineda, 16, who dreams of owning his own dance studio some day. “My parents love it.”

When not practicing or mentally rehearsing their dance steps, the youngsters have been busy trying to imagine the Greek, a place most have never set foot in.

“Does it have stained-glass windows?” asked 12-year-old Brittany Dixon.

A tap dancer since the age of 9, Brittany has been a student at Universal Dance Design, a small storefront studio in the Mid-City area, since 1980. Tonight, he and a troupe of 16--including children from Compton, Koreatown and Beverly Hills--will shuffle through Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”

The coincidence that tonight’s event will take place on the anniversary of the start of the riots is not lost on event organizers.

“Youth at the Greek was born out of the chaos [of the riots],” said producer Joseph Di Sante. “Here we are six years later on the exact same day, celebrating Los Angeles [with] this wonderful festival.”

Twenty acts will perform, including the Los Angeles Unified School District All-City Honor Band, Vietnamese fan dancers, a barbershop quartet, a violin solo and an authentic hula dance. Tickets are $8 and are available at the door. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Information: (213) 480-3232.