It’s a day for celebration! CULTURA, the Municipal Commission for Culture, Tourism and Art, has handed the press its entire Spring Season program, which means that monthly publications like the Pacific Pearl can offer you a rundown of their major upcoming events through June. April is time each year for the Jose Limon International Dance Festival, founded in 1886 and named in honor of the late Culiacan-born dancing star. Delfos, the renowned troupe that makes Mazatlán its home, will open the festival which also will feature a visiting dance company from Italy. A highlight in May will be “Plumb Jack,” a performance of an opera in concert composed by Gordon Getty, the son of the late oil baron, who will be here for rehearsals as well as the local premiere of his work. And in early June, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet will dance across the Angela Peralta Theater stage. But while the calendar of performances we’re publishing today is for the most part fixed, so as to reserve the theater and even the kiosk at the Plazuela Machado for the dates mentioned, it is not final. CULTURA has first dibs on those two sites, but we know from past experience that other events are likely to come up and fill in the unoccupied dates on this calendar. And also, there’s ever the possibility of a cancellation. For that reason it’s wise to check the website for last-minute news. If none of the performances listed here appeals to you, there’s always a chance that there will be something more to your liking that we, and even CULTURA, may not know about yet. Your electronic reference point is: www.culturamazatlan.com Meanwhile, every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., the Mazatlán Art Museum promises to put on a free concert. So far they’ve offered a harp soloist, an opera group, a guitarist and a jazz combo. The schedule may be disrupted during the beginnings of April because of Semana Santa. Ask a Spanish-speaking person to call the museum at 985-3502 to confirm the concert schedule for the first half of this month. Here’s the rest of the arts calendar as of now: APRIL Apr. 3-4: Fractal (dance with electronic music) 10pm, Golden Zone, Free Apr. 12: Sinaloa Symphony: “Nights of Scherezade” 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater 120 pesos Apr. 16: Delfos Danza Contemporanea opens the Jose Limon Dance Festival 8pm, Angela

Peralta Theater, 100, 80 & 60 pesos Apr. 17: Lux Boreal dance company (Baja California) “Seven-leaf Flower,” inspired by the phenomenon of narcotrafficking 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater, 100, 80 & 60 pesos Apr. 18: Camerino Cuatro (Mexico) “Chocolate,” about a couple facing the confinements of daily life 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater, 100, 80 & 60 pesos Apr. 19: La Manga (Mexico) “Hershey’s Man,” about a man caught shoplifting Hershey’s chocolate 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater, 100, 80 & 60 pesos Apr. 19: Book presentation “5,000 years of Words” and Cello concert by author-musician Carlos Prieto 8pm, El Cid Theater Free Apr. 20: Teatro di Piazza o D’occacione (Italy) “The Japanese Garden,” a multimedia dance spectacle 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater,100, 80 & 60 pesos Apr. 21: Professional School of the Contemporary Dance 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater 100, 80 & 60 pesos Apr. 25: Banda Sinaloense from the Municipal Center for the Arts 7:30pm, Plazuela Machado Free Apr. 27: Percussion Ensemble from the Municipal Center for the Arts 7pm, Plazuela Machado Free MAY May 3: Guitar Ensemble from the Municipal Center for the Arts 8pm, Angela Peralta Gallery Free May 9: Concert by the Mazatlán Youth Symphony Orchestra 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater Free May 11: Concert by the Mazatlán Camerata 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater Free May 18: “Plumb Jack,” Opera in Concert with Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater 120 pesos May 22: Chamber groups from the Municipal Center for the Arts 8pm, Angela Peralta Gallery Free May 24: Day of Music concert 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater, Tickets: TBA May 26: Day of Music throughout the Historic Center May 31: Jazz Band from the Municipal Center for the Arts 7pm, Plazuela Machado, Free JUNE June 2:  Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents a Royal Gala 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater, 300, 200 & 100 pesos June 8: Chamber groups from the Municipal Center for the Arts 8pm, Angela Peralta Gallery Free June 13: Mazatlán Youth Symphony Orchestra Year end recital 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater, 70 pesos general admission June 15: Professional School of Contemporary Dance of MCA Year end recital 8 pm, Angela Peralta Theater, 80 pesos June 23: Professional School of Contemporary Dance of MCA Graduation 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater June 30: School of Classical Ballet of the MCA “Circus,” year end recital 8pm, Angela Peralta Theater