Holemes
Student performers from 15 MPS schools will showcase 12 diverse cultures in song and dance Friday at the 14th annual Cantos de las Americas at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Milwaukee.
The show is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 3 at the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water Street, Milwaukee 53202. Media and the general public are welcome to attend the free performance.
The 12 cultures/genres represented, with roots spanning four continents, include: Afro-Cuban, Aztec, bachata, bomba, cha cha, cumbia, hip-hop, Hmong, mariachi, Mexican folk, rock and salsa.
Greenfield Cantos
“Cantos de Las Americas is a ‘Tribute to Education’ for all parents and students from the diverse cultures we have in Milwaukee Public Schools,” said Jesus Santos, Director of the MPS Division of Bilingual and Multicultural Education. “Cantos is a captivating performance from beginning to end.”
The annual celebration of culture, traditions, folk dancing, music and learning as interpreted by MPS students has drawn crowds of close to 1,000 in years past.
Performing students include the youngest in the district all the way up to high-school artists and musicians who perform regularly. The 15 schools performing this year, an increase from last year’s 13 schools, are:
Luther Burbank School
– Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes (ALBA)
– Allen-Field School
– Luther Burbank School
– La Escuela Fratney
– Greenfield Bilingual School
– Hayes Bilingual School
– Oliver Wendell Holmes School
– Albert E. Kagel School
– La Causa Charter School
– H.W. Longfellow School
– Milwaukee High School of the Arts
– Milwaukee Spanish Immersion School
– Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School
– Morgandale School
– Escuela Vieau
Milwaukee Public Schools serves a diverse community and is committed to diversity.
More than 9,300 MPS students participate in bilingual education or language immersion programs throughout the district.
Cantos de las Americas is made possible by generous contributions of the Forest County Potawatomi Community Foundation in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, the MPS Division of Bilingual and Multicultural Education, MPS School Social Workers, MPS principals, school leaders and teachers.