Cheryl Burke and Brian White to Host L.A. County Holiday Celebration on Christmas Eve

By: Dec. 15, 2016
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Emmy-nominated professional dancer Cheryl Burke (Dancing with the Stars) and actor BrIan White (Scandal. Mistresses, Chicago Fire) are set to host the 57th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, the largest multicultural holiday celebration in the county.

This year's Holiday Celebration features 21 music, dance and choral ensembles - over 500 performers - and reflects the diversity of holiday traditions celebrated in Los Angeles. Some highlights include Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company with a folklórico dance from the region of Tabasco, Mexico; Harmonic Bronze Handbell Ensemble, performing classical handbell repertoire that celebrates Christmas and Hanukkah; QVLN (Q-Violin) bringing his "Brazil meets Jimi Hendrix on an electric violin" stylings to the Christmas classic "Little Drummer Boy"; Latin jazz band Cuba L.A., performing selections from their Christmas CD, "Navidad Cubana"; Kayamanan Ng Lahi Philippine Folk Arts with festive dances from the provincial lowland/coastal region of the Philippines; and much more.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has sponsored this admission-free show for the people of the County every December 24 since 1959.

The performance takes place on Saturday, December 24 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Both admission and parking are free (first come, first seated). Entertainment on the Music Center Plaza begins at 12:30 p.m., and doors open at 2:30 p.m.

Those who can't make it to The Music Center can watch the live broadcast on PBS SoCal KOCE or online at pbssocal.org. The broadcast will repeat on Dec. 24 at 9 p.m. and again on Dec. 25 at noon.

For complete program information, call (213) 972-3099 or go to HolidayCelebration.org.

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

With over 20 years dancing experience and several championship titles under her belt, Emmy nominated professional dancer Cheryl Burke, tangoed and sambaed her way into the hearts of millions through the hit ABC television show Dancing with the Stars, becoming champion twice with Emmitt Smith in Season 3 and Drew Lachey in Season 2. In 2015, Cheryl starred alongside Joe Jonas, Ciara, and Marlon Wayans in NBC's I Can Do That, a variety show that challenged celebrities to live outside their comfort zones. 2016 marked Burke's return to Dancing with the Stars for her 19th season on the show, pairing her with troubled Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. Cheryl kicked off 2016 with production on Love on the Floor, a live stage show featuring professional dancers and Olympic and World Champion ice skaters coming together to tell the story of love and its many stages. The evocative stage show includes many forms of dance choreographed by Emmy Award-winning choreographers. Cheryl, who created and serves as the show's producer alongside live event giant IMG, was joined on stage by Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis and Charlie White and Daisuke Takahashi when the show made its worldwide premiere in June in Tokyo, Japan where it grossed over 2 million dollars in ticket sales in 10 sold out shows. A Bay Area native, Cheryl first began dancing at the age of six, taking ballet lessons and performing throughout the Bay Area. At 10, she discovered what would be her winning talent, ballroom dancing, and decided to hang up her ballet shoes to begin training in both Standard and Latin ballroom dancing. By the age of 13, Cheryl was traveling and competing throughout the world. In the spring of 2008 Cheryl opened her first of several dance studios, the highly successful Cheryl Burke Dance. In early 2011 Cheryl's biography "Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential on the Dance Floor and in Life" was released. In 2015, Cheryl launched her own clothing line, Cee Bee, with home shopping giant QVC as her retail partner. The line of active wear and workout attire features items that are designed to fit the active lifestyle of the average woman. In addition to her onscreen roles, Burke is a noted motivational speaker. Having been publicly attacked about her weight and battling body image issues her entire life, Burke often speaks at medical conferences, women's conventions and to school age children about self-esteem and having a healthy body image. Currently in development on several unscripted television show concepts that she will also produce, Burke has turned an initial reluctance to leave the world of competitive dance to appear on television into a growing empire.

BrIan White currently stars opposite Gary Dourdan in the corporate drama Media from producers Cathy Hughes and Sheila Ducksworth, as well as in three film projects that he also produced: the musicAl Howard High, the romantic suspense thriller Only for One Night, and the romantic comedy 36 Hour Layover. In 2015, White starred in and produced the dramatic feature Where Children Play costarring Teyonah Paris and Macy Gray. He also held down three major recurring roles on three of TV's hottest shows, all at the same time: NBC's Chicago Fire, as Taylor Kinney's new partner, Chief/Captain Dallas Patterson; ABC's Scandal, as Kerry Washington's new love interest; and heating up the screen with Rochelle Aytes on ABC's Mistresses. Earlier this year, Brian was seen in Lifetime's With This Ring opposite Jill Scott, Regina King and Eve. He executive produced and starred in the romantic comedy My Favorite Five opposite Rochelle Aytes, and he produced and starred in the feature, And Then There Was You opposite Garcelle Beauvis and Lynn Whitfield. He starred in CBS' Hostages opposite Dylan McDermott and Toni Collette; in the independent feature, Walter, with Neve Campbell, Peter Facinelli, Virginia Madsen and William H. Macy; in CW's Beauty and the Beast opposite Kristen Kreuk; and in Tyler Perry's romantic drama, Good Deeds. In 2012, White starred opposite Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins and Emmy Award-winner Bradley Whitford in the Joss Whedon/Drew Goddard horror film, The Cabin in the Woods. Other credits include the Bollywood romantic comedy film Politics of Love, opposite Mallika Sherawat, LorEtta Devine and Ruby Dee; reprising his popular role of Marcus in the Emmy Award-nominated drama series Men of A Certain Age with Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula; Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself opposite Taraji P. Henson; opposite Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard in Fighting; and alongside World Wrestling Entertainment superstar John Cena in the film 12 Rounds. Other notable film credits include the box office hit The Family Stone and the Independent Spirit Award-nominated film BricK. White is most recognizable to television audiences as Detective Tavon Garris on the award-winning FX crime drama The Shield. Other television credits include CBS' Moonlight; UPN's Moesha, The Parkers and Second Time Around; and MTV's Spyder Games.



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