Sharing heritage: International Days celebration is Aug.10-14 in South Jordan

SOUTH JORDAN — Like many things, culture and heritage are best when shared. Pride in and love of them are also universal.

That's what Shawnda Bishop and her folk dance ensemble Clog America have learned in 19 years of performing at 21 international folk festivals.

And that's what they hope to bring to South Jordan's International Days celebration, now in its second year.

This year's celebration will take place Aug. 10 to 14 with events at Bingham High School, South Jordan Community Center, Daybreak, Heritage Park and other venues.

Special guests are Wulan Muqi, from Wushen Qi, Inner Mongolia, China, considered one of the top folk ensembles in all of China; and Janosicek, from Brno, Czech Republic. Clog America will also be performing, as will a local folk dance group, Viva Chile. All events are free.

International Days is a community effort, says Bishop. It has the support of several corporate sponsors; the Pioneer Heritage Arts Association and Native American Events Inc. are helping with special events; the South Jordan Youth Council has provided volunteer help; and countless others have been involved.

A number of new events, including the Wabi Sabi Japanese Kite Festival, offer entertainment and fun for youngsters. There will be ethnic cuisine and more.

Clog America recently returned from participating in folk festivals in Greece and Turkey. "This is our way of sharing some of that international culture and flavor with people here," Bishop says.

Clog America is one of only two American groups that participated in any international festivals this summer, she says.

"It's too bad America can't be represented at more." Because, she says, one of the first things they have learned is "that the folk festival world is a whole different world from the political world. We were so warmly welcomed in Istanbul; we were amazed by the warmth of the people. So many people came up to us and said, 'You're not at all like what we thought Americans are like, not like the Americans we see on TV.' Sadly, that's all a lot of people know about America, what they see on TV."

Bishop was standing by the American flag-bearer in one of the ceremonies, "and a woman came up and asked if she could just touch the American flag. It meant a lot to her just to touch it."

Since 2005, Clog America has been combining its tours with humanitarian projects.