MPA Heritage Festival

As the drums sounded with a loud thud, dancers from the Dimensions Dance Theater filled the empty space in front of the stage. They swung their arms around and kicked up their legs as they danced to the music performed by Catalyst and One by One in Cal State Monterey Bay's (CSUMB) University Center.

Bands and the theater group came together to perform classic Moroccan music and jazz infused music. As if moving like one, the dancers moved with every beat of the bands music.

One by One and Catalyst are two major up and coming bands from the San Francisco bay area. They perform with instruments like the oud, gimbiri, and karkabas and combine jazz instruments like the piano trumpet and drums.

Dimensions Dance Theater has toured all over the world. They dance traditional African dances and also do contemporary dance as well.

The main theme throughout the performance was love and tolerance. The oud player told the crowd of an anecdote that said we all have differences but they are needed and all have their own place. He also talked about using their music as a "love virus" to spread across the world.