Welcome to galadinner2015

About performers

WWW.CONEXIONES.COM

Sponsors

The program of the Night

Friday, May 22 nd

The hager hall conference center 901 dual Highway, hagerstown, md doors open @ 7:00 pm

CONTENt

Gala Dinner Guide

Special Thanks to

raaga dc PAG.5

romanian folclor/ dante PAG.7

Our Board Members and Colaborators “Thank you for all you did to help make our event a huge success.

It was beyond a pleasure to collaborate with you these past several weeks to make the event as successful�

Carlos Mellot Merce Mellot Paula Moore Captain Paul J. Kifer

The Program PAG.12

Viki M. Pauler William E. Douwes Jorge Jimenez Sergio Polanco

shree PAG.11

Gaby Polanco Dr. Jose Ricardo Osorio

los monstros PAG.11

2- Gala Dinner Guide/May 22 2015

WE ARE DIVERSITY

Welcome to Our Diversity Gala Dinner “We speak different languages... We come from different cultures..

We have different traditions. No matter who you are or where you are, you are not responsible for the past, but you are for the future” May is a very important month, month of the flowers and mother’s month. Also worldwide is the Diversity month. Many places around the world communities celebrate the diversity of their cultures.

2002 was United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage. At the end of that year, on December 20th, 2002, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The General Assembly emphasized links between the protection of cultural diversity and the importance of dialogue between civilizations in the modern world. The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development was first observed in 2003.

We have to learn many things from one another. In this modern and rapidly growing world we have to learn to accept each other. None of us chose living in this body or being this race, we weren’t given the opportunity to choose our language either.

At Maryland Diversity Center we strive to promote awareness and generate increased support by acting as a liaison between our diverse community and the businesses, agencies and the local government providing among other things educational programs, local information and relocation assistance.

We are committed to link, engage and support all cultures, backgrounds, race, world views, ages and beliefs. We work to promote and support diversity awareness through cultural, educational, recreational, artistic and social programs and leadership.

Together, we can build a strong culturally inclusive community.

WE ARE DIVERSITY

May 22 2015 / Gala Dinner Guide - 3

4- Gala Dinner Guide/May 22 2015

WE ARE DIVERSITY

Shreya Navile and her dancing partner Trisha Miglani started their Bollywood dance class Natyabhoomi -Raaga DC in 2011 in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

They have successfully been teaching bright kids and adults and performing at various prestigious events over the past 4 years.

Including the 3 State Multicultural Festival 2013 City Park, Hagerstown.

Together, Trisha and Shreya plan on expanding Natyabhoomi Raaga DC and sharing a unique fun filled dance journey with everyone.

Initially for 8 years, Trisha Miglani trained and performed with the Washington Ballet School. She spent a couple years in India and many summers where she discovered her passion for Bollywood.

She performed extensively with the Terence Lewis Dance Academy.

She is training in Bharatnatyam from Deepti Mukund. She has also trained in Kathak, Hip-hop, and Ballroom styles and is very versatile!

Shreya has trained in Bharatnatyam since the age of 4 and performed her Rangapravesha (solo dance debut in front of an audience of over 500 people) in the summer of 2011 in Bangalore, India. She has also, trained in Kuchipudi, Ballet, and Modern as well. During her three year sojourn in India, Shreya qualified in the top 32 in the reality Indian TV show “Dance India Dance� and taught Bollywood dance at an orphanage. She has performed extensively with Natyabhoomi USA and Nupura, Nritarutya and Shaimak Davar Dance Academy in India.

For Shreya, dance is not just a passion but it is the way she moves and breathes!

WE ARE DIVERSITY

May 22 2015 / Gala Dinner Guide -5

We speak your language.

And thirteen others, too.

Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, French Creole, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Sign Language, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese

Services Professional bilingual training, translations and interpretation services, websites, and Hispanic marketing and outreach

www.ictmllc.com 20140 Scholar Drive, Ste. 321 Hagerstown, MD 21742

240-420-0803 10394516

Located in Hagerstown, we service the quad-state area (MD-PA-VAWV), International Corporate Training and Marketing, LLC (ICTM) has provided translation and interpretation services in several languages, professional bilingual training, and Hispanic marketing and outreach since 2003.

ICTM provides solutions wherever language creates a barrier to communicate effectively with customers, employees, patients and parents.

ICTM’s primary goal is to assist organizations and companies meet the growing needs of the Hispanic population, whether it is with customer service, parent communication, employee relation or Hispanic/Latino outreach and target marketing.

Our comprehensive focus covers a large number of industries from healthcare to banking, and from school district to government agencies, to assist them in reaching and communicating effectively with the Hispanic and other non-English speaking populations.

Contact us at info@ictmllc.com or 240-420-0803

6- Gala Dinner Guide/May 22 2015

WE ARE DIVERSITY

The Professional Dance Group "Folclor" was founded in 2007 for the purpose of bringing the Romanian folklore dance to the eyes of other cultures. The dancers of the group were part of the Professional dance ensemble "C. Porumbescu " from Suceava, Romania.

Members of the Group are Ciuhan Daniela, Pauliuc Victoria, Tudorache Catalin, Pauliuc Viorel. "Folclor" offers a variety of National Traditional Romanian dances in the Washington DC area. performing at various prestigious events Including the 3 State Multicultural Festival 2013 City Park, Hagerstown.

“I perform a variety of Latin music live in the Harrisburg, Lancaster and York, PA areas for weddings, Latin-themed parties, corporate events, south-of-the border parties, cultural events--you name it!

I play of blend of styles: romantic boleros like “Somos Novios” (It’s Impossible), guajira style, like “Guantanamera”, Mexican folk music, as in “Volver, Volver” and “Cielito Lindo”, South American folk music, such as “Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros” from Chile, “La Flor de La Canela” from Peru, “Noches de Cartagena” from Colombia, “El Dia Que Me Quieras” from Argentina and many, many more.

I also play soft, easy-listening ballads or Bossa Nova, like “The Girl From Ipanema” or “Wave”. In addition to all of the above, I sing music from the U.S. with Latin flavor, like “Rosalinda’s Eyes” and “Light My Fire.”

For a more festive atmosphere, “La Bamba” from Veracruz, Mexico, “Hot, Hot, Hot” and “Copacabana” from the USA. Each performance can be tailored to the type of atmosphere you want, from a soft, relaxing, airy feel to rhythmic dancing beats.

WE ARE DIVERSITY

May 22 2015 / Gala Dinner Guide - 7

Thomas B. Riford is the Vice President of Funds

Development for the Homewood Retirement Centers, and he heads up the Homewood Foundation.

He is the Past-President and CEO of the HagerstownWashington County Convention and Visitors Bureau and happily touts the area’s unique offerings - including five national parks, eight state parks, over 30 museums, and a number-one-shopping-destination ranking in Maryland.

A graduate of Cornell University, decorated Marine Corps veteran, winner of the Chamber of Commerce 2004 Business Volunteer of the Year Award, and 1989 CBS Radio News Reporter of the Year, Riford is also a thrill-seeker. A graduate of Cornell University, decorated Marine Corps veteran, winner of the Chamber of Commerce 2004 Business Volunteer of the Year Award, and 1989 CBS Radio News Reporter of the Year, Riford is also a thrill-seeker. In 1994, this former professional skier and racer set a world record for most vertical feet skied in a four-hour period. In 2009, Tom Riford accepted, on behalf of the Hagerstown-Washington County CVB, the Maryland Cultural Heritage Tourism Award from Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. In 2013, he also was awarded the Washington County John Frye Historical Preservation Award for Advocacy. He received the top tourism marketing award in 2013 from the Maryland Tourism Council. Riford is a board member of the Maryland Film Industry Coalition, the Maryland Humanities Council, and the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. Riford is the President of the Board of Directors of the Discovery Station Museum in Hagerstown, and the President of the Maryland International Film FestivalHagerstown. Riford also serves on the boards of the Red Cross, Breast Cancer Awareness of the Cumberland Valley, and other non-profits. He was awarded the Distinguished Volunteer Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2014.

Senator Richard Alloway II was elected to his first term in the Pennsylvania Senate in November 2008. After winning re-election in 2012, he is currently serving his second term representing the 33rd District, which includes all of Adams County and portions of Cumberland, Franklin and York Counties.In his first year in office, Senator Alloway serves as a member of the Senate Republican leadership team as Majority Caucus Secretary, where he is responsible for overseeing and careful review of all executive nominations submitted to the Senate for confirmation.

He previously served as Senate Majority Caucus.

8- Gala Dinner Guide/May 22 2015

WE ARE DIVERSITY

7:00PM to 7:45PM Doors open “Diversity Happy Hour” Ticket Registration Guests can expect to be serenaded by Dante, playing blend of styles: romantic boleros like “Somos Novios” (It’s Impossible), guajira style, like “Guantanamera”, Each performance can be tailored to the type of atmosphere you want, from a soft, relaxing, airy feel to rhythmic dancing beats.

7:55 PM Welcome to the Tri State Diversity Gala Dinner 8:00 PM Gala Dinner Entertainment begin. Uplifted by the Rhythms of:

*RAAGA DC

*ROMANIAN FOLCLOR

*KASANDRA NOMAD DANCERS

*SHREE ACADEMY 10:20 PM The Latin band LOS MONSTROS will offer an opportunity for all to let their hair down and hit the dance floor.

Welcome and enjoy the Tri-State Diversity Gala Dinner 2015!!!

WE ARE DIVERSITY

May 22 2015 / Gala Dinner Guide - 9

CARROS DEPORTIVOS

RV'S

MOTORCYCLES

SUBASTA TODOS LOS MARTES..!

DESDE LAS 5:00 PM

10- Gala Guide/May 22 2015 18 -Dinner Conexiones / Mayo 2015

WE ARE DIVERSITY INFORMACION A TU ALCANCE

Shree Academy of Arts provides high quality Indian classical dance training. Bansari Mandalia, the founder of Shree Academy of Arts, aims at inspiring personal growth, fulfillment and a lifelong passion through the art of Bharatnatyam. Shree Academy of Arts enriches and inspires the Central PA community with one of the oldest and most sacred forms of Indian dance and culture.

There are 7 types of Indian Classical Dance form. Bharathanatyam is probably one of the most popular forms of the 7 originating from the Southern State of India called Tamil-Nadu. Bharathanatyam was earlier called Daasiattam and was performed at Hindu temples

by Devadasis or women who had devoted their lives to God as a form of worship. Bharathanatyam resemble theater but uses body language as well as facial expressions or Abhinaya to communicate. The body language comprises of Adavus or sets of steps and positions which take years of rigorous physical training. A dancer must have both flexibility as well as strength to be able to practice.

The physical training requires tremendous amount of discipline.

The Abhinaya also requires years of practice and guidance from the Guru to be able to master. A dancer must learn the basic Abhinaya as a discipline and with advanced training be able to bring them out from within. The makeup enhances the facial expressions for the audience to be able to see since it is meant to be performed live.

GRAND VENICE HOTEL 431 Dual Hwy, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (301) 733-0830

WE ARE DIVERSITY

May 22 2015 / Gala Dinner Guide - 11

11- Gala Dinner Guide/May 22 2015

WE ARE DIVERSITY

Nomad Dancers is a collective inspired by dance traditions of Iran, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, India, and Turkey, traveling across borders and bridging cultures in search of the ultimate dance experience.

Nomad Dancers presents Persian, Uzbek, Uighur, Gypsy, and Middle Eastern traditional folkloric dances, as well as Bollywood and Fusion choreographies at cultural events, celebrations and festivals in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The individual Nomad Dancers’ fascination and interests in the graceful, playful, colorful, and rich dance traditions from across this vast region, coupled with the dancers’ myriad experiences and talents, have inspired a varied repertoire of dances and glorious costumes prepared by the Nomad Dancers themselves.

While the Nomad collective itself is a relatively new phenomenon, created in December 2008, each of the individual dancers brings years of professional experience in various dance styles to the group, and have performed in venues ranging from universities and embassies to Washington DC’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, to the majestic Registan Square in Samarkand, Uzbekistan; from across the United States to Italy, Greece, Cyprus, India and Afghanistan. The Nomad collective is dedicated to bringing master teachers from around the world to help us refine our skills and craft our choreographies, better enabling us to bring diverse audiences together, and to spread cultural awareness of the region.

WE ARE DIVERSITY

May 22 2015 / Gala Dinner Guide - 13

Serving Hagerstown, Chambersburg & Surrounding Areas Phone MD 240 215 5056 • Phone PA 717 658 9935 www.wiredtechnologies.com

Sandra Oblitas founder of Kasandra Cultural Center, graduated at Ballet Oficial and Ballet Folklorico Nacional La Paz (Bolivia) is actually working at the YMCA as a Clasical Ballet, Aqua Zumba and land Instructor, Instructor certified by the AF Arthritis Fundation.

Centro Cultural Kasandra, dedicated exclusively to promoting and expanding our Latin American Cultures through folkloric dances, for our generations to identify with their roots, promotes Latin Floklore to many local, state and nationwide events bringing the best of the dancing cultures from Latin America.

The style of each dance and clothing shows off African, native and Spanish cultural influences.

As Latinos, it is an honor to be able to teach our cultures through our dances and that way incentivize our youth to feel proud of our roots.

The main objective of Kasandra Cultural Center is to grow the creativity of our children and young people physically, artistically and spiritually, through dance, with methodical and dynamic teaching, where they can express their strengths and their talent.

14 - Gala Dinner Guide/May 22 2015

WE ARE DIVERSITY

Playing together over the years in various salsa & merengue bands, the members recognized their unique chemistry and decided to embark on a new musical journey together. One of the primary contributions to the originality of their sound, is the fact that the lead singer is not even of Hispanic origin, and actually entered the world of Latin music as a merengue trumpet player. Still he nurtures his own love of singing, as well as his desire to create musical and cultural fusion by blending his own romantic vocal style, along with the unique personal musical stylings of the rest of the band, together into a new expression of the most popular latin music of today. ..the perfect blend of traditional Latin/Caribbean rhythm with the hottest contemporary styles...designed to appeal to various audiences and, most importantly, to make EVERYONE feel welcome & comfortable getting up to move to the music, regardless of prior experience!

WE ARE DIVERSITY

May 22 2015 / Gala Dinner Guide - 15

The Hagerstown - Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Washington County is home to great golf, upscale and outlet shopping, restaurants, museums, theater and superb hotel and meeting facilities. We love to host conventions and groups here!

www.marylandmemories.org