Minneapolis’ Sister Cities Day was held July 16 just outside Nicollet Island Pavilion. The Minneapolis Sister Cities program was established in 1961 with the signing of the first Sister City agreement between Minneapolis and Santiago, Chile. Today, it includes Winnipeg, Canada; Santiago, Chile; Harbin, China; Kuopio, Finland; Tours, France; Najaf, Iraq; Ibaraki City, Japan; Eldoret, Kenya; Cuernavaca, Mexico; Novosibirsk, Russia; Bosaso, Somalia; and Uppsala, Sweden.
Dance students from Mexico Lindo Ballet Folklorico perform a variety of traditional dances The performances featured zapateado, a type of dance featuring striking the dancer’s shoes on the ground, as well as dances featuring Jalisco dresses, traditional dresses featuring an array of colors and patterns. Members of Rafiki USA perform a traditional dance, representing Eldoret, Kenya. Jesse Nummelin played cello. He, along with Yuki Tokuda, represented Kuopio, Finland. A traditional Chilean dancer, part of Tonada 3/4. Dance students from Mexico Lindo Ballet Folklorico. Tonada 3/4 performs traditional dances and music from Chile. Yuki Tokuda, a ballet dancer and teacher based in the Twin Cities. Students from the Heart and Soul Drum Academy perform a piece on djembe hand drums. (Photos by Max Goldberg)
