LOS ANGELES — Holiday celebrations around Los Angeles are in full swing. And one of the biggest and most iconic is the 60th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

There will be 25 professional and community-based dance ensembles, musical groups and choirs performing. The public is invited to the free, three-hour extravaganza. A lot of really unique groups will be participating this year, including a wheelchair dance company.

MORE HOLIDAY STORIES:

One member, Scarlett, has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. Her nine-year-old twin brother Henry has no disabilities, but he's also a member of Infinite Flow, a nonprofit, inclusive dance company composed of dancers with and without disabilities.

“I've been with them for two years now, and it’s been life changing really, because I can be more independent and emotional with my dancing than I was when I was younger," Scarlett said.

Being able to dance together is a unique experience for these twins.

“When we heard about this, it was the first sport we could do together. It made me really happy to actually be able to do a sport with my sister on the same stage. It's just a fun way to be together,” Henry said.

Infinite flow is America's first professional wheelchair ballroom dance company. It was created by Marissa Hamamoto, who was once disabled herself.

“I've been a dancer my entire life. And when I was in college, I had a stroke in my spinal cord which temporarily paralyzed me from the neck down. And this life changing incident eventually led me to create Infinite Flow,” said Hamamoto.

Hamamoto believes inclusion is not just about checking a box, but rather creating a culture of belonging, connection, and collaboration.

“More than about breaking the stereotype of disability, we're really demonstrating the infinite possibilities that come out of inclusion. And so one of our tag lines is ‘inclusion inspires innovation,'” said Hamamoto. 

The dance company is based in Sherman Oaks, but on this day they're rehearsing at the Music Center as they prepare to perform in the LA County Holiday Celebration happening on Christmas Eve. It will be broadcast live on PBS at 3 p.m.

"We’re very excited. And I'm a little nervous. Right?” said Scarlett.

“Yeah," added Henry.

“But mostly excited,” Scarlett said.

For tickets and more information: musiccenter.org/tickets/events-by-the-music-center/holidaycelebration

 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: 

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

• Arturo Sandoval (legendary Cuban jazz trumpet player and band) 


• Los Robles Master Chorale (one of Southern California’s premier choirs)


• Street Corner Renaissance (a cappella group singing fun, upbeat tunes)


• Pasadena Girl’s Choir (all-girl children’s chorus featuring extensive "choralography")


• Infinite Flow (inclusive wheelchair dance company)


• Greater L.A. Cathedral Choir (hand-clapping, foot-stomping Gospel choir)


• Harmonic Bronze Handbell Ensemble (handbell ensemble)



4 p.m. – 5 p.m

• Our Lady of the Angels Children's Chorus (Filipino children’s choir)

• Pacifico Dance Company (Mexican folklorico)

• Los Angeles Chamber Choir (classical, modern and sacred choral works)

• Cuñao (alternative Latin folk band)

• The Opera Company at LACHSA (students from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts)
• Jung Im Lee Korean Dance Academy (colorful Korean “Three Drum” dance)

• VOX Femina Los Angeles (all-female choir)

• Mostly Kosher and Urban Voices Project (Jewish cultural revival band) joined by Urban Voices Project (choir made up of men and women surviving homelessness on Skid Row)

• Homenetmen Ararat Choir (Armenian choir)

5 p.m. – 6 p.m.:

• African Soul International (West African dancers accompanied by djembe and djun djun drums)

• The Citrus Singers (a cappella ensemble with handbells)

• Hālau Hula Kealiʻi o Nālani & the Daniel Ho Trio (Hawaiian music and hula)

• Palmdale High School Chamber Singers and Sunday Night Singers (world-class high school choir)

• Yuval Ron Ensemble (plaintive Middle Eastern music by Jewish, Christian and Muslim ensemble)

• Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (delightful treatments of holiday tunes)

• Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea and Mariachi Espectacular (Two-time Grammy award-winning – and current nominee – all-female mariachi ensemble, joined by their “brother” band)