Moonlight Star Festival in Phoenix, AZ 1/2

Moonlight Star Festival 1 of 2


“East Meets West”, Touch of Creation Cultural Events. Celebrated on Saturday, October 10, 2009
We were invited to this Festival by our friends a few weeks ago. We had been patiently waiting for this festival to arrive so it was with great anticipation that we jumped in our car and left for the Scottsdale location where the festival took place. The traffic was heavy on our way there, and we were starting to worry we would arrive too late, but we were very lucky, and happy, for we arrived just in time to witness the introduction.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted at the entrance by our friends. With dozens of shining Pianos adorning the background, and a most kind and attentive staff, we felt so very welcomed. They made us feel right at home from the very start.
We felt much honored for the invitation and the opportunity to attend.


The introduction started shortly thereafter. Ms. Janet Priset Sandino, the event host, warmly greeted the audience before the performances started.
From her introduction, we were able to learn more about this event. We learned that the Moonlight Star Festival takes place once every year at the Steinway of Phoenix Scottsdale location. We learned this is its second consecutive year. We also learned that part of this year’s festival benefitted a local non-profit organization that helps children with disabilities.
According to Ms. Priset Sandino, its purpose is to “breach all cultural communities,” and it’s “east meets west” theme incorporates performances by Japanese, Chinese, American, Vietnamese, Indian, and Philippine participants. We also had the honor and opportunity to talk to Ms. Keiko Conn, the event producer and organizer, to find out more about the festival’s purpose and participants. We learned the Moonlight Star festival incorporates aspects of the Japanese Tanabata-Sama (Evening of the Seventh,) and Otsukimi (Moon Viewing) festivals.

This year, there was a wish tree for children to hang their hand-written wishes in the tradition of the Japanese Tanabata Festival. Shortly after the introduction, a most charming master of ceremonies took the stage to present the performances. She first introduced us to the meaning of Kuroko, the stagehands’ black-colored uniform, that the staff members used in character with traditional Japanese Kabuki Theater to represent invisibility.

The first part of the festival included a number of very enjoyable and impressive piano, cultural, and singing performances as well as a story recital in the tradition of the Tanabata festival. In this recital, we learned more about the beautiful love story behind the Tanabata festival, a heartwarming story describing the relationship between Hikoboshi and Orihime, the daughter of the king of the universe Tentei, and their loving commitment to see each other on the seventh day of the seventh month every year. We were also able to enjoy very delicious cooking, which was provided to every event attendee during the intermission, which included very yummy Asian tapas and refreshments.

The second part of the festival included two impressive piano melodies by a renowned local young pianist. It also included two songs performed by a young local talent with a very delightful voice, and three breathtaking dances representing the local Asian and Indian community. I really enjoyed witnessing these dances. One of them featured a performance by a lovely lady in Indian clothes dancing to a very catchy and pleasant song I can’t forget about yet. Another song, about a young girl walking into a bamboo forest and playing with the birds, featured the talent of a charming young girl dancing solo. This was a very nice dance representing the Chinese Culture. Another dance, for the Chinese culture, featured three young ladies dancing in unison to the rhythm of Chinese Classical Dance.

I hope we get to see more of these dances next year. They were very pleasant performances.

The last performance featured another story recital in character with the Moon viewing festival. In this story, we learned about the young princess Kaguya-sama, who came from the moon with the sole purpose of bringing joy to an old, hard working couple who dedicated themselves to weaving bamboo baskets, and who had no children of their own. We learned how one day, the old bamboo cutter found a beautiful and tiny baby girl inside a shinning stalk of bamboo. We learned how the couple adopted the mysterious girl and watched her grow and marry a young prince, and her unavoidable departure to her home in the moon.

The festival ended with a colorful tableau, or live picture representation, of the Moonlight Star design performed live by Ms. Conn and her Kuroko staff. This festival was a delightful, pleasant, and educating experience. It had lots of surprises, delightful performances, entertaining stories, and most delicious food! We learned so much and we look forward to the opportunity of attending next year’s festival.