Weekend Events: Dancing, Alpacas and Mermaids
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Friday, May 15: Asian Pacific American Heritage Music and Dance Performance
Come enjoy the School of Indian Odissi Dance Troupe and the Mongolian Dance perform traditional Asian Pacific music and dance. Free. Natural History Museum. 6:30 PM
Saturday, May 16: Mermaids, Serpents and Sea Creatures
I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers The Little Mermaid being THE movie event of 1989. (Hey, I was five—Driving Miss Daisy was way over my head at the time.) While Ariel may be the poster girl for life under the sea, there are plenty of other beautiful interpretations of ocean life to be seen—especially in the African Art Museum's Mami Wata exhibition. In this companion event, learn about how artists have visualized the fanciful inhabitants of the sea and create your own water spirit. Free, but space is limited. Call (202) 633-4633 to reserve your spot today. African Art Museum, 1:00 PM.
Sunday, May 17: The Smithsonian Zoo's Annual Alpaca Shearing Event
Alpaca wool is exceptionally fine stuff—soft and warm, it makes for great winter clothing. But we're in the throes of spring and entering a typical DC summer, which means that the National Zoo's resident alpacas—Ziggy, Cirrus and Orion—are looking to shed the fur coat and go au naturel for a while. Come out and see the shearing show and learn about alpaca fiber. This event takes place come rain or come shine. Free. National Zoo, 11:00 AM.