Washington’s World Culture Festival focused on peace and community
WASHINGTON - Audience members shine their cell phone flashlights Friday during a song by the 1000 Global Guitar Ensemble during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)
WASHINGTON – The nation’s capital last weekend hosted the fourth World Culture Festival, a celebration of culture, peace and community, on the National Mall.
The festival was sponsored by the Art of Living Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes happiness and stress-free living, and its founder, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The foundation exists in over 180 countries, according to its website.
The World Culture Festival featured performances, meditation, activities, food and speeches highlighting a variety of world cultures and 17,000 artists. Several world leaders were also in attendance.
“Our planet is so diverse, and yet there is an underlying unity that is the human values,” Shankar said on Friday.
WASHINGTON – Native American performers dance on Friday to drums after a land acknowledgement by the elders of the Piscataway and Lakota Tribes during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – A young guitarist practices Friday as he waits to begin playing as a part of the 1000 Global Guitar Ensemble during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – Dancers and instrumentalists perform the West African dance and song “Anka Dje Anka Be,” or “Come Together in Unity” on Friday during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – A dancer strikes a final pose Friday as a part of the Folk Rhythms of the Andes, folk dances from Colombia, Peru and Bolivia during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – Dancers on Friday partake in “Arabian Night,” a Middle Eastern performance with dances from the Arabian Gulf, Egypt and Lebanon and choreographed by Jillina Carlano during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – Several of the 600 dancers that are a part of Panchabootham, Indian symphony and classical dance, perform on Friday during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – One of the group of Panchabootham dancers performs Friday during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – Dancers finish their “Soul of Japan” performance, which includes centuries-old traditional dance and music, on Friday during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – Flags of countries around the world line the performance area on Friday during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – In the Festival Village, attendees leave messages of love on a photo backdrop clothesline during the World Culture Festival. The center heart reads “kisses for all.” (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)WASHINGTON – Howard University’s Showtime Marching Band drummers and tuba players walk onto the performance area of the National Mall on Friday during the World Culture Festival. (Josie Jack/Capital News Service)
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