City of Temecula announces events in celebration of American Black History Month
TEMECULA, CA – The City of Temecula, Temecula Valley Museum, and the Old Town Temecula Community Theater join the nation as we recognize and commemorate Black Americans’ many achievements and contributions to our great country through several programs in celebration of American Black History Month.
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@ Old Town Temecula Community Theater (42041 Main Street)
We invite our community to engage and enjoy a mix of ballet and hip-hop by the Hiplet Ballerinas at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater (42051 Main Street) on SAT, FEB 19, 2022, at 7:30 pm.
This final performance of the Temecula Presents’ Dance Series celebrates the diversity of dance in America. The one-night-only performance by the Hiplet Ballerinas will be packed with feel-good music that will engage and inspire our community. A free, 90-minute, Master Dance Class will also be offered as part of their dance residency on SAT, FEB 19, 2022 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Register at Temecula Theater’s Ticket Office at 1.866.OLD.TOWN (1.866.653.8696).
Hiplet is a performance group based out of the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center and they were featured on America’s Got Talent in 2021. Hiplet was created by Artistic Director Homer Hans Bryant and evolved from the ‘Rap Ballet’ of the 1990s. Hiplet fuses classical pointe technique with African, Latin, Hip-Hop, and urban dance styles that are rooted in communities of color. It was specifically designed to make ballet accessible to all, by mixing it with current popular songs that will be familiar to audiences who do not normally attend ballet performances. Performances may incorporate the rhythms of African drums with Tchaikovsky, arabesques, and beat-boxing or even Tango en pointe – all while showcasing Hiplet’s trademark sass, hip movements and struts against popular music audiences will recognize between classical pointe technique, Hip-Hop, and a variety of other dance styles. HipletBallerinas.com
Tickets are on sale now for the Hiplet Ballerinas. Tickets are available for purchase at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater (42051 Main Street), and online at TemeculaTheater.org. For more information, please contact the Temecula Theater Ticket Office at 1.866.OLD.TOWN (1.866.653.8696).
Thank you for your continued support of live, performing arts. #ExperienceTemeculaTheater
@ Temecula Valley Museum (28314 Mercedes Street)
The celebration of American Black History Month continues at the Temecula Valley Museum with the unveiling of a Student Art Mural honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This temporary public art piece celebrating Dr. King and Black History Month was created by 12-year-old artist AJ Pederson with contributors Kaia Bo and Landon Stingle. This beautiful, original mural is exhibited at Sam Hicks Monument Park (28300 Mercedes Street).
The Temecula Valley Museum also invites residents to Second Saturday Cultural Celebrations held on the second Saturday monthly to celebrate a different culture or region. On FEB 12, 2022, we will examine the culture and traditions of Benin, Africa, with food, music, and cultural facts. Benin was the place where the last known slaveship, Clotilda, left Benin in 1860 to deliver slaves to the United States. We will also celebrate the life of Cudjoe Lewis (Oluale Kossola), a man imprisoned on that last ship, and the contributions that he and other Black Americans have made to our country. Finally, Dr. Patricia Justice of GoSteam4Kids will present portraits of inspirational Black Americans drawn by Tony Tobin Elementary School students.
Virtual Celebrations
In addition, to the programs and events detailed above, you can also enjoy a month-long Virtual Celebration of American Black History presented on our various social media outlets throughout FEB 2022. (@TemeculaTheater and @TemeculaValleyMuseum)
Temecula’s Virtual Celebration of American Black History includes a restream of classical cellist Anita Graef and the moving virtual recitation of Dr. King’s I Have A Dream Speech by Temecula resident Chris Warren on Temecula Theater’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
American Black History Month presents the opportunity for us to celebrate our fellow Americans’ achievements which have led the fight toward equity in our communities and stand together to pave the way for continued progress for all. Please tune in to our social media pages as we look at Black Americans’ extraordinary story in our country, including enhancing our national life through civic leadership, military service, business, the arts, science, literature, sports, and entertainment.
Temecula’s Celebration of American Black History is a collective celebration and remembrance of the many important contributions Black Americans have had on every chapter of our nation’s story. Please support the Temecula Valley Museum, Old Town Temecula Community Theater, and Temecula’s Community Services Department as we continue to grow this annual engaging, entertaining, and educational celebration.
Submitted by City of Temecula
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.