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Contact: Torrey Olins
For immediate release
Sage Hill School (949) 219‐1346
SAGE HILL SCHOOL CELEBRATES DIVERSITY AT TENTH MULTICULTURAL FAIR
March 14, 2011 (Newport Coast, CA) ‐‐ Sage Hill School will celebrate diversity at its tenth annual
Multicultural Fair, to be held Saturday, March 26, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the school’s
Wilkins Town Square. The daylong event, which attracts more than 1,000 adults and kids every year,
features authentic world food booths, lively cultural entertainment, an ethnic bazaar and hands‐on
children’s activities.
“We’re proud to honor our school’s tenth anniversary with our tenth annual Multicultural Fair
showcasing diversity from all reaches of Orange County,” said Gordon McNeill, Sage Hill’s Head of
School. “We celebrate diversity at Sage Hill on a daily basis with our student body representing a wide
range of cultural backgrounds. The Multicultural Fair allows us to extend that celebration to our friends
and neighbors beyond our campus.”
Ethnic Delicacies and Cultural Entertainment
Organized by the Sage Hill School Parent Association, the Multicultural Fair serves up freshly prepared
ethnic food, such as French crepes, Southern catfish*, Korean barbecue and Persian kabobs. While
visitors feast on delicacies from around the world, individual cultural traditions come alive on stage. The
nonstop entertainment features performances by Sage Hill students and faculty as well as groups from
the Orange County community, including:
• The Wimberley Bluegrass Band, comprising four teenage siblings*
• African percussion and dancing
• Sage Hill Persian* and Indian Dancers/Rappers
• Korean traditional dance performers
• Sage Hill vocalists performing Italian arias, Latin and Spanish songs, and selections from America’s
songbook
And much more.
Hands‐on Fun for Kids and Adults Alike
The fair welcomes children of all ages to the family activity booth offering mask‐making, henna painting,
Chinese calligraphy, and dress‐up photos. An ethnic bazaar will sell unique treasures and trinkets from
all over the globe.
The fair runs from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Admission is $7 per person at the door, with children 7 and
under free. Food tickets, sold on site, are $1 each. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Sage Hill’s
Financial Aid Endowment Fund.
Sage Hill School
20402 Newport Coast Drive
Newport Coast, CA 92657
sagehillschool.org/multiculturalfair
About Sage Hill School
Sage Hill School is Orange County’s only independent, non‐profit, non‐sectarian, coed college
preparatory high school, located on thirty acres in Newport Coast, CA. Founded in 2000, the school
provides a premier education for its 400 plus students through small class sizes that average 15 students
per teacher, world‐class educators, an outstanding program of curricular and extra‐curricular offerings,
highly personalized college counseling, and a public purpose. Sage Hill aims to transform the lives of its
students by inspiring a love of knowledge and the ability to use that knowledge creatively,
compassionately and courageously throughout their lives.
# # #
* See fact sheet below
FACT SHEET #1
Persian Dance: Forbidden in Iran, Flourishing at Sage Hill
A colorful mosaic of costumes, music and movement, Persian dance has a deep history beginning more
than 2,000 years ago. Often accompanied by the clatter of tea glasses or finger cymbals to mark the
rhythm, the distinctive style of Persian dance should not be confused with Arabic or belly dancing.
Persian dance involves dramatic upper body movements and smaller, understated hip movements,
while the feet move in intricate patterns. Facial expression and interaction with the audience are
integral to the performance.
The origin of Persian dance parallels the rise of the mystery cult, Mithraism. The worship of the Persian
god of sun and light, Mithra, involved sacrificing a bull followed by a ritual dance performed only by
men. This ceremonial dance formed the basis for the Persian dance we see today.
Greek historians have documented cultural exchanges with “Persian dance masters.” Emperors in the
first ruling dynasty of the Persian Empire encouraged the advancement of different art forms, including
dance, and subsequent dynasties continued to promote and protect dance. But the status of dance
changed dramatically with the Muslim conquest of Persia in the 7th Century.
In the centuries of religious prohibition and political instability that followed, many ancient Persian
traditions nearly disappeared, including dance. After the fall of the Persian Empire, many Iranian
women were forced to perform exotic dances. This led to a widespread impression that dancing of any
sort was dishonorable for women. Over time, not only was the practice of dance suppressed, but its
history was, too. The practice of Persian dance was preserved largely through the Armenian Christian
and Jewish populations in Iran.
The rise of the Qajar Dynasty in the late 18th Century liberalized attitudes towards dancing, and for the
next 100 years Persian dancing flourished. But with the decline of the monarchy in the early 1900s,
dancing suffered another set‐back. In a temporary revival during the mid‐1900s, dancing became more
accepted with several government‐sponsored dance companies performing classical and folk dance.
Following the 1979 revolution, dancing was banned in Iran, and this ban continues today.
At Sage Hill School, a committed and talented group of Persian students and parents keep their cultural
tradition alive every year at the Multicultural Fair. Their vibrant performances showcase their talent,
while preserving their rich heritage.
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FACT SHEET #2
Fried Catfish:
Soul Food and the Soul of the Multicultural Fair
When Sage Hill School's 10th Multicultural Fair begins at 11:00 a.m. on March 26, Anita Jackson will
have 75 pounds of fresh catfish on hand. By the time the fair closes five hours later, Jackson will likely
be fresh out of fish, and most of the 1000 visitors will have tried her famous fare. “I fry a mean catfish,”
Jackson said.
How Anita Jackson's fried catfish became a perennial favorite at the Multicultural Fair is a story of
inspiration, commitment, and shared vision that embodies the very heart and soul of the fair, and of
Sage Hill School itself. When Sage Hill was nothing more than an idea and a parcel of sage‐covered
hillside, Jackson's husband was invited to join the founders in shaping the vision of the nascent school.
Sage Hill was committed, long before it opened, to attracting a diverse student body.
Frank Jackson, an ordained minister, has dedicated much of his life to helping African American youth
reach their potential. For years, he and Anita ran “Passport to the Future,” a mentoring program for
high school boys through the nonprofit 100 Black Men of Orange County. When Sage Hill opened,
Passport began holding its biweekly meetings on campus. “Our hope was to have people here and have
someone say, ‘You know, this is a great environment,’” Jackson said. And it worked: Sage Hill’s first
African American graduate was a member of the Passport program.
Although she was raised in Pittsburgh, Anita Jackson's roots are in the Deep South. Her mother hailed
from Alabama, and her quintessential Southern fried catfish recipe traveled by way of Pittsburgh to
Orange County, where Jackson now resides. Jackson first offered her catfish at the Multicultural Fair six
years ago, and it’s been one of the most popular food booths ever since. “We’re always the first to shut
down,” Jackson said.
Anita and Frank Jackson no longer run Passport to the Future, but they maintain strong ties with the
organization, and with Sage Hill School. In response to the real estate crisis, the Jacksons formed Village
Solutions Foundation, a faith‐based community development corporation serving Los Angeles and
Orange Counties. Their commitment to bringing diversity to Sage Hill School hasn’t wavered. “How do
we identify the diamonds in the rough?” Jackson asked rhetorically. While he applauds Sage Hill’s
efforts to promote diversity, he would like to see even more ethnic minorities take advantage of the
academic and extracurricular opportunities the school offers, as well as the generous financial aid.
The Multicultural Fair offers a unique way for different cultural communities to connect with one
another. “Food is one of those connectors,” Frank Jackson said. Anita plans to continue sharing her
personal heritage with visitors from all over Orange County as long as the fair continues to invite her.
Based on the popularity of her catfish, she has a standing invitation.
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FACT SHEET #3
The Wimberley Bluegrass Band
Bluegrass music is alive and well in Orange County, thanks in part to the Wimberley siblings of Santa
Ana. The musical quartet—three brothers and a sister—received bluegrass instruments for Christmas
four years ago, and the Wimberley Bluegrass Band was born.
The Wimberleys had some formal piano and violin lessons, but they are mostly self‐taught, their mother
said. "We took them to open bluegrass jams where they watched and learned," said Tina Wimberley.
Led by 12‐year‐old Michael on vocals and fiddle, the older siblings harmonize and play other acoustic
instruments. Danielle, 17, plays mandolin; James, 16, plays banjo; and his twin, Mark, plays guitar.
The band performs at bluegrass festivals, fairs, and other events, mostly in Southern California, including
Riley’s Los Rios Rancho in Oak Glen, the Orange County Fair, and the Anaheim Fall Festival. They have
also played at venues in Branson, MO and Mountain View, AR. In 2009 they released their first CD, Opry
Bound.
Bluegrass music incorporates elements of country, folk, jazz and blues. Though it reflects Scottish and
Irish folk music influences, it is a distinctly American genre. Traditional bluegrass is played on acoustic
stringed instruments like mandolin, fiddle and banjo, with or without vocals. The name comes from the
popular 1940s band, the Blue Grass Boys, whose vocalist, Bill Monroe, is considered the pioneer of
bluegrass.
At a time when famous sibling bands are making millions in the world of pop music, the Wimberleys'
goal is refreshingly simple: "We hope to keep good, old fashioned bluegrass music alive," they said.
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