Best Bets: Sat 8/22

8 pm: Dance

An urban square dance choreographed to the music of Taj Mahal is a key component of Lula Washington’s “Mahal Dances,” which her locally based Lula Washington Dance Theatre will premiere at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. Washington has titled the whole multi-part rep program “Bustin’ Loose,” and it includes excerpts from a revival of Donald McKayle’s 1964 “Daughters of the Garden,” along with works by Jho Jenkins, Stefan Wenta, Koffi Koko and Tamica Washington, Lula’s daughter. Besides company members, young apprentice dancers and the reggae band WADADA also are scheduled to bust loose--and expect audience participation as well.

* Lula Washington Dance Theatre, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood. $7-$20. (323) 461-3673.

8 pm: Theater

The MET Theatre’s new resident MET Acting Company presents its inaugural production, two evenings of new plays: “MET a Magic” and “More MET a Magic.”

* “MET a Magic” and “More MET a Magic,” MET Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave. Thursdays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. (“MET a Magic”); Fridays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. (“More MET a Magic”). Ends Sept. 27. $15. (323) 957-1152.

10 am: Festival

Cultural diversity will be celebrated at the annual Sunset Junction Street Fair in Silver Lake this weekend, when a strip of Sunset Boulevard will be closed to traffic, and music from blues to punk to country, soul and salsa will fill the air. Entertainers (performing on three stages) will include Phoebe Snow, Bobby Matos, Candye Kane, Slojack, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, the Blues Experiment, Aztlan Underground and more. Carnival rides, games, food, drinks, arts and crafts will also be offered.

* 18th Annual Sunset Junction Street Fair, Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 3600 to 4400 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. $3; children 12 and under, free. (323) 661-8881.

8:30 pm: Theater

Grove Theater Center’s season ends with its outdoor production of Shakespeare’s blithe, romantic romp “Much Ado About Nothing” at GTC’s Festival Amphitheatre in Garden Grove.

* “Much Ado About Nothing,” Festival Amphitheatre, Grove Theater Center, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove. Thursdays-Sundays, 8:30 p.m. through Aug. 30. (Also Sept. 10-20, at Muckenthaler Cultural Center Amphitheater, 1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton. Thursdays-Sundays, 8:15 p.m.) Ends Sept. 20. $16-$22.50. (714) 741-9555.

All day: Animation

Anifest ‘98, a festival celebrating the art form of animation presented by l’Association Internationale du Film d’Animation and Burbank’s Media City Center, is for those in the industry and the general public alike. The fest will feature discussions with cartoon luminaries (Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, will hold a question-and-answer session Saturday at 11 a.m.), interactive displays and live voice-over shows. Also, watch for Eek the Cat, Bad Dog, Robocop and other cartoon critters who will be making the rounds.

* Anifest ‘98, Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Media City Center, 201 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Free. (818) 566-8556.

10 am: Art

The Japanese-inspired prints and paintings of a forgotten American artist are featured in the retrospective exhibition “Between Two Worlds: The Life and Art of Lilian May Miller,” which opened this week at the Pacific Asia Museum. Miller was born, raised and trained in Japan as the daughter of the American consul general to Seoul, Korea, but attended Vassar College in the United States. The ability to understand both Eastern and Western cultures is reflected in her work, which includes woodblock prints and paintings.

* “Between Two Worlds: The Life and Art of Lilian May Miller,” Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. Ends Jan. 3. Museum hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: adults, $5; seniors and students, $3. (626) 449-2742.

FREEBIE: Billiards by the Beach Tournament, lower pier next to Strand, Hermosa Beach, 9 a.m. Also Sun. (310) 372-6600.