Afro-Cuban Festival @ Miami-Dade Community College.

A family oriented tribute to Latin and Caribbean culture with an emphasis on its African Roots, will bring dancing, drumming, poetry, music, movies and a street fair to a variety of venues around Miami-Dade Community College campuses October 3-6, 2002. BAILA USA (www.BailaUSA.com) began in 1998 as the IFE ILE Afro-Cuban Festival. BAILA, which means dance in Spanish, is the perfect acronym for the Beats of Africa In Latin America.

The festival gets an early start at 7 p.m., Saturday, September 7, 2002 with the opening of an art exhibit, Fieldwork, by Jose Bedia in the Centre Gallery of the Wolfson Campus, 300 NE 2nd Avenue in Downtown Miami. It will feature the IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance and Music Ensemble in a live visual performance with body paintings by artist Aruan Torres.

Another art exhibit kicks off the BAILA USA Festival on Wednesday, October 2. Afrocubanismo, a collection of works by an assortment of Miami-based artists will open at 5:30 p.m. at MDCC Frances Wolfson gallery followed by a panel discussion and film screening. Poetry readings and discussions will be at MDCC Auditorium, October 3, while a panel presentation on Yoruba Lucumi Aesthetic Traditions will take place on Friday, October 4. Also on Friday will be Congo Art at Taller Portobelo, Panama in the Wolfson Auditorium and workshops on dance and drumming at 6:00 and 7:30 pm, Room 6400 in the Wolfson campus.

The Dance Concert is the highlight on Saturday, October 5 by IFE-ILE and special guest companies such as Familia Cepeda from Puerto Rico, Body Nations and Socyete Koukouy at the Wolfson Auditorium. The entire family can enjoy the Street Fair on Sunday, October 6 at the Wolfson campus plaza, featuring two entertainment stages, food, arts & crafts, Latin American and Caribbean vendors with the Worlds Largest Piñata and a Conga line to top off the evening. A detailed list of events follows.

Neri Torres, a native of Havana, Cuba and a professional dancer and choreographer is the Founder of the IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Company and the Artistic Director for BAILA USA.