2023 Featured Performers & Stage Schedules

Celtic, tribal, Gypsy rock with an Appalachian steampunk edge. Their rhythmic groove and interaction naturally inspires audience participation, a staple of their performances. They mesh the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland with their own bold blend of mainstream rock, mountain drumming and Appalachian blues to produce a truly unique sound with universal appeal!

Colin Grant-Adams is an award-winning touring singer/songwriter/guitarist, originally from Oban Scotland, now living in Glasgow Kentucky. His traditional and original songs from Scotland & Ireland are intermixed with Bluegrass and Americana as well as old time music brought across the sea with the Scots & Irish immigrants. With his tenor voice, fiery guitar work and good humor, Colin is a sought after professional entertainer, with 11 CD recordings, including his new CD “Scotland to Americana”. Colin has been co-writing songs with Clare Steffan, winning numerous awards for them songs, including Bluegrass artist of the year for their song “Simple Folk” at the at the prestige’s Akademie Gala awards in Los Angeles, 2023.

Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance from India, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra. It developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India. Evidence of Kuchipudi’s existence in an older version are found in copper inscriptions of the 10th century, and by the 15th century in texts such as the Machupalli Kaifat.Kuchipudi tradition holds that Tirtha Narayana Yati – a sanyassin of Advaita Vedanta persuasion, and his disciple, an orphan named Siddhendra Yogi, founded and systematized the modern version of Kuchipudi in the 17th century. Kuchipudi largely developed as a Hindu god Krishna-oriented Vaishnavism tradition, and it is known by the name of Bhagavata Mela in Thanjavur. The traditional Kuchipudi was performed by all males troupe. A dancer in a male role would be in Agnivastra, also known as Bagalbandi, wear a dhoti (a single pleated piece of cloth hanging down from the waist). A dancer in a female role would wear a Sari with light makeup. 

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Danza Guerreros Quetzalcoatl from Nashville is a traditional Aztec dance group, we represent our beautiful Mexican culture. We make our own music using a drum. Our beautiful regalia (outfits) is full of wonderful colors, our headpiece is a work of art. Each of our members spend about 3 hours placing each individual feather to create them.

Learn more at their booth in the park.

Hui Kaululehua focuses on traditional Hawaiian hula dance. They focus on two types of dance – kahiko (ancient pre-contact hula) and ‘auana (modern style hula) – along with the musical accompaniment for these dance types. Performances include both styles and educational information about hula and the songs they dance to.

The group will perform four dances:
Malong-malong dance originates from the Maranao tribes of Mindanao and shows many ways of wearing the malong
The Igorot dance. Igorots or mountain people refers to the six ethno-linguistic peoples from the remote mountainous regions of Luzon.
Pandanggo sa Ilaw, which translates as Dance of Lights, is a waltz-style, playful folk dance that showcases a unique fusion of local and western indigenous dance forms. Originating in Lubang Island, Mindoro in the Philippines, it is usually performed during festivities and special occasions.
PAYPAY DE MANILA (Manila Folding Fan) is a dance of Spanish influence. It displays the young ladies with scented fans or paypay and flirt with young men with canes and straw hats. The dance music is a mixture of a slow habanera alternated with a very fast polka accentuated with heavy stamping of the men’s heel-clicks

Ceili dancing is the traditional group dancing native to Ireland, first taught by tradition and then, in 1939, put into writing by the Irish dancing commission. In addition to traditional dances, Bluegrass Ceili Academy performs original choreographies and teaches the audience some of the steps.

Their community-based school regularly performs at local festivals, school and civic organizations, and onstage throughout Central Kentucky.

Ritmos Calientes is a Latin fusion band that primarily performs Caribbean and Brazilian music. This group aims to highlight the unique styles that come from Brazil and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago such as samba, bossa nova, baiao, calypso, and soca. With hot rhythms and jazz-infused lines listeners will find it hard not to dance to this high-energy music. The group features Bowling Green native Andrew Dyer on steel pan and vocals, Zicky Hart on and saxophone and flute, Daniel Kuk on keyboard, Ben Earl on bass, and Slade Moore on drums.

Learn more at their booth in the park.

Nepali ethnic cultural dances from the local Bhutanese Community.

Roux du Bayou Cajun Band plays authentic cajun, zydeco, swamp pop, mardi gras accordion and fiddle music.

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Performances will demonstrate the daily living of their lives back in the villages as they are from the hills of Myanmar. It will also illustrate the great hornbill, which is the official state bird and a national symbol among the people.

Norma sings traditional mariachi songs. She just moved here from Lansing, Michigan where she would perform for local cultural events and is hoping to do the same here.

Academy of Flamenco Arts is a dance organization located in Louisville (KY) that offers flamenco classes for different levels to all ages. The Academy of Flamenco Arts prides itself in its vast diversity, with expertise from Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru and other parts of the world bringing authentic flamenco style to the academy from each respective country. In addition to classes, it also provides opportunities to perform in the community with events and festivals like Bowling Green to more intimate settings including restaurants and cafes.

Learn more at their booth in the park.

Local dancers from five ethnic communities of Burma (Burmans, Shan, Karen, Chin, Karenni) will perform traditional dances.

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Las Damas have been a performing and practicing traditional Mexican dances for over 6 years. Their goal is to showcase their culture and keep the tradition alive, while having fun as a team and learning new dances.

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This year Sawmte Chhangte, a famous gospel singer from India will be preforming the music for the Mizo community dances. Khuallam: A dance for the guests and Ekhai Hlim Rawh u: A dance of encouragement and happiness for the youth.

Sankofa African Drum and Dance Company is a Tennessee based performing arts company whose mission is to rally communities around the beat of the drum to unify, heal and inspire.

The symbol of Sankofa is that of a bird whose head is faced in the opposite direction of its body. Even though the bird is advancing, it periodically makes it a point to examine or return to its past, since this is the only way for one to have a better future.

Sankofa African Drum and Dance Company was founded by Maria Estes Hall in 2007 after receiving a call to organize the best of the best African Drummers and Dancers in the Tennessee area for a showcase. Little did she know, that show would birth a performing arts company that has now developed into the premier African Drum and Dance Company in Tennessee.

In addition to self-producing an annual Kwanzaa concert (since 2013) to sold-out crowds each year; Sankofa performs throughout the City of Nashville and the surrounding area frequently, at festivals, schools, community events and private events. They also host weekly community classes for adults and children in Nashville.

Sankofa is firmly rooted in educating and cultivating an appreciation for African culture and music. Sankofa understands the power of Unity and utilizes the medium of African Drum and Dance to tear down barriers that tend to divide communities. Sankofa believes that a community that drums and dances together stays together.

Yapa is a musical journey inspired by many rich cultures. From indigenous melodies of the Andes Mountains to the traditional and popular dance musics of the world, Yapa always brings a little “extra gift” for your ears…and your heart! Yapa! features musicians from Ecuador, El Salvador, Canary Islands, and the US.

A mix of traditional Bosnian sevdah songs as well as gypsy and folk music from the Balkin region. Instruments include guitar, prim, veillette and gryphone.

Manisha & Aanyaa Arora perform Indian Bollywood fusion dance representing various dance forms of Indian culture

Rachana Pasupuleti was 8 years old when she began peforming at the Bowling Green International Festival in 2009. She has studied Bharatnatyam, a Classical form of Indian Dance since she was three years old.

Bharatanatyam is one of the most ancient and exquisite dance forms in the World. It is one of the seven major classical dance forms of India and the most widely known. It is the classical dance style native to southern India, particularly the state of Tamil Nadu. Bharatanatyam is a sublime artistic experience both for the performer and the audience. In addition to being an exquisite dance form, Bharatanatyam teaches concentration, physical and mental discipline and is an excellent physical activity for all ages.

Robin Duckett and Dale McCubbins perform traditional Irish/Scottish music, including popular folks songs of the region, also tunes like jigs, reels, even sea shanties!

Widely acclaimed dance teacher, performer and workshop instructor Safiya Nawaar, is the owner and artistic director of Arabesque World Dance & Troupe Banat Nawaar (The Daughters of Nawaar) in Lexington, Kentucky. This beautiful dancer brings the emotions of music to life through creative movement with a powerful yet delicate style, both on the stage and in the classroom. Her specialties include the traditional and folkloric dances from Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey loosely coined as belly dance. Safiya continues to study extensively, traveling and taking workshops from world renowned instructors in the art of Middle Eastern and North African dance. Through all of these instructors her curriculum has grown to include dance styles from Egypt, Lebanon & the Levant area, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.

Learn more at their booth in the park.

Playing Chinese folk songs with traditional Chinese music

Careustz presents a performance composed of members of both the African & Afghan Bowling Green communities. They will be working together to coordinate dances to each other’s music creating African + Afghan dance fusion.

Learn more at their booth in the park.

This show demonstrates the joyful culture of Peru through emblematic traditional rythms, “Marinera Norteña” and “Festejo”, which are performanced by a peruvian dancer. Having performed in many Peruvian festivals since she was 14 years old, she learned the varied folklore music from her home-country. Now this dancer continues expressing her love towards her culture by showing it to others, dancing wherever she goes.

Learn more at their booth in the park.

Mbira is the sacred, healing music of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. This thousand-plus year old musical tradition has a spiritual function and is often used in bria ceremonies where families honor and seek advice from their departed ancestors. Mbira dzeMaungira translates as “the echoes of the mbira,” and we pay deep respect to this music while bringing this tradition to life for Western audiences. Our performances are participatory demonstrations featuring clapping, dancing, singing, and mbira playing. With 16+ years of experience playing and teaching mbira music, we are experienced educators who are honored to perform and share this music with others. Everyone is warmly invited to experience the transformative power of mbira music firsthand!

Barrenhart plays a mix of classic celtic tunes and Appalachian bluegrass in a fusion that we call Celtic Grass. The band consists of Masako Jeffers on fiddle, Greg Cutcliff on bass , bagpipes, and vocals, and David Foster on guitar and vocals. Mandolinists Hazel Johnson is the remaining long time member of the band, however, for health reasons we will have Nashville mandolinist/fiddler Holly Odell sitting in with us for this show. We will be playing a mix of tunes from our Celtic Grass album release as well as other traditional Scottish and Irish tunes.

Ceili dancing is the traditional group dancing native to Ireland, first taught by tradition and then, in 1939, put into writing by the Irish dancing commission. The dances taught at Bluegrass Ceili Academy are those generations-old dances handed down through the years. In addition to traditional dances, Bluegrass Ceili Academy teaches and performs original choreographies. Their community-based school regularly performs at local festivals, school and civic organizations, and onstage throughout Central Kentucky.

Four routines that all exemplify different styles of ballroom dance. We want to represent the great influence that Latin America has had on the world of dance. Each routine is a compilation of salsa, cha cha, and mambo dance moves.