Performers and artists including Grand Masters from Okinawa, Japan will be visiting the City of Milton next week in order to share their culture with Santa Rosa County residents in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the education-oriented cultural club, Florida Okinawa Kenjinkai.
Fifteen members from Team Kizuna, an international traveling troupe of Grand Master performers, includes musicians, singers and dancers. In addition to putting on a couple of culturally-informative workshops, the troupe will also be putting on a two-hour presentation at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium on Saturday.
Milton resident Margie Baldwin spent the past three years working to bring the event to Milton. Baldwin, whose mother is Okinawan, said this occasion will bring people from outside of Florida in order to see Team Kizuna perform.
“So far we have 92 people coming from out of state,” Baldwin said. “We have other Okinawan clubs traveling to this event.”
Baldwin said Team Kizuna is known for traveling and performing in larger cities, like Los Angeles and New York City, making this a rare treat for Santa RosaCounty.
"It’s very, very exciting for little ol’ Milton to be given this opportunity,” she said. “This is such a collaborative effort.”
In addition to working with the Florida Okinawa Kenjinkai organization, Baldwin said next week’s visit and activities has also received support from the Santa Rosa Arts and Culture Foundation, the Santa Rosa Historical Society, the Santa Rosa and Escambia County Tourism Development Councils, City of Milton and the Japan Center at the University of West Florida among other organizations in order to better accommodate the visitors.
In addition to the education benefits of the cultural exchange, Baldwin said this visit could open doors to potential future relationships between Santa Rosa County and Okinawa and even float the idea of starting a sister city program.
“I want to bring more arts and culture into Santa RosaCounty,” Baldwin said.
She said half of the tickets for the Santa Rosa County Auditorium have already been sold. Advanced tickets will be sold for $20 and will be sold for $25 the day of the event. Seating is limited. For more information on the event call 994-4890 or email FloridaOkinawa.KenjinKai@yahoo.com.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Okinawan Grand Masters to perform in Milton Saturday