San Francisco. With their work visas secured and their airline tickets in hand, performing arts groups from ten countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America are heading to San Francisco for the Sixth Annual San Francisco International Arts Festival, which will run from May 20-May 31. The individual artists and ensembles will join a global celebration with 14 Bay Area based companies for the 11 day Festival that will take place at venues throughout the city.

As a result, San Francisco will be the only U.S. city this year to see performances by high caliber international companies Sasha Waltz & Guests (Germany), the Akhe Group (Russia) and Ranferi Aguilar & Los Hacedores de Lluvia (The Rain Makers, Guatemala). San Francisco will also host the US debuts of the remarkable Cho-In San Francisco International Arts Festival Artists from Ten Countries Converge on the City Page 2 of 4 Theatre (South Korea) and rising sitar star Smita Nagdev (India).

Heading up the local companies are Gamelan Sekar Jaya who are celebrating their 30th anniversary and ROVA Saxophone Quartet who will convene their international Rovate guests, The Festival will also feature Bond Street Theatre from New York in collaboration with Exile Theatre of Kabul (Afghanistan), Jess Curtis/Gravity, Scott Wells & Dancers, the Earplay Ensemble, Ana Nitmar with marimba ensemble Ixim Tinamit, Liss Fain & Dancers, NexMap Production and the Berkeley High School Jazz Orchestra.

SFIAF is also pleased to be able to announce a new pilot program for younger artists to participate in the Festival. Titled MASH, it will take place at Union Square as part of the Festivals Jewels in the Square lunch time concert series co-presented with MJM Management. The first participants are The Riley Dance Project, Shah and Blah Productions and Gretchen Garnett & Dancers.