‘World City’ brings array of free cultural shows to Disney

The Music Center of Los Angeles County has launched a free “World City” series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall to present performances geared for children and families and keyed to the diversity of the metropolitan scene.

“Los Angeles is a very international city that includes cultures from all over the world,” Mark Slavkin, vice president for education at the Music Center, said Tuesday. “One of our goals is to welcome and celebrate all these cultures and to have them feel the excitement of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.”

Series events will take place at 1 and 2 p.m. on Saturdays in the W.M. Keck Foundation Children’s Amphitheatre, a 300-seat outdoor performance space at Disney Hall. Seating will be on a first-come basis, with no tickets required.

The next series event will take place Feb. 21, with the Mussukeba Sane West African Dance Ensemble performing dances and music from Senegal, Mali and Guinea and storyteller Diane Ferlatte offering stories and inspirational songs about the African American experience.

Subsequent events are:

* March 20: Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre of New Zealand and Chuna McIntyre, representing Maori-South Pacific cultures and the Central Yup’ik Eskimo culture, respectively.

* April 24: Xochimoki and the Ballet Folclorico do Brasil, showcasing the Amazonian rain forest and Brazilian cultures.

* May 15: Kanata Native Dance Theatre and Geri Keans, performing dances of American Indian Plains and Woodlands tribes.

* June 5: Pacifico Dance Company, offering original and traditional music and dance from Mexico, South America and Cuba.

Information: (213) 250-2787.