Summer concert series opens with dance from Taiwan

Young members of the Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe perform a dance called Little Dolls.

The free outdoor Spotlight by Starlight summer concert series is in full swing. The shows at Ossian Hall Park got started Saturday, June 16, with Taiwanese Cultural Heritage Night, as a large crowd gathered on the lawn to enjoy several dance performances.

There were performances by the Alice Gu-Zheng Ensemble, which appeared at the Taste of Annandale, the Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe, the Northern Virginia Chinese School Youth Yoyo Ambassadors, and the Yuan Chi Research Society of Washington, D.C.

The audience joins in.

There are shows ever Saturday night at 7:30 at Ossian Hall Park, 7900 Heritage Drive, Annandale, through Aug. 18. The next one is Indonesian Cultural Heritage Night on June 23.

The Ribbon Dance.

There are concerts in the amphitheater at Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 24. Upcoming shows feature the Capital Focus Jazz Band on June 20, the Ron Holloway Band on June 22, the Ocean Orchestra on June 24, and the Washington Balalaika Orchestra on June 27.

The Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe.

There are children’s shows on Saturdays at 10 a.m. at the Mason District Park amphitheater, beginning June 23 with the Beech Tree Puppets.

Members of the Yuan Chi Research Society perform a combination of Tai chi, martial arts, and folk dance with the goal of improving physical and spiritual health.

Shows are canceled if it rains. If the weather is iffy, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour before showtime.

The audience joins a dance from the Amei culture, the largest indigenous group on Taiwan.