The Central Astoria Local Development Coalition (CALDC) has started the 2007 Summer Fun Children's Series. The series consists of five consecutive Tuesday morning performances at Athens Square Park, 30th Avenue and 30th Street, and five consecutive Wednesday morning performances at the Dutch Kills Playground, 36th Avenue and Crescent Street. All performances start at 10:30 a.m.

"Feraba-African Rhythm Tap" kicked off the series on Tuesday, July 10th at Athens Square Park, and on Wednesday, July 11, at the Dutch Kills Playground.

Feraba is a term from the Sousou of Guinea, West Africa that means, "Do something to make people happy." Feraba, an award winning multiethnic dance company, fuses tap dance with West African drumming in their production of African rhythm tap. Feraba delivers a soul-inspiring combination of traditional instruments, vocals and dance guaranteed to captivate, astonish, and move the audience. Through this high-energy performance, students will see how dance and song from different cultures are related and how we all speak the same language: rhythm.

The Summer Fun Children's Series provides entertainment featuring artists specializing in children's performances in the field of music, storytelling and theater. Over the years, these performances have been greatly enjoyed by children of all ages and this year's series will be the best yet!

The following performances are also scheduled:

Athens Square Park-Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.

•July 17 - Ramzi El-Edilibi, Dances Around the World

•July 24 - Donna Couteau Cross & Joe Cross, Native American Storytellers

•July 31 - Scottie Davis, Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" set to music

•August 7 - Janice Buckner, Song and Puppetry Concert

Dutch Kills Playground - Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

•July 18 - Ramzi El-Edilibi, Dances Around the World

•July 25 - Donna Couteau Cross & Joe Cross, Native American Storytellers

•August 1 - Scottie Davis, Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" set to music

•August 8 - Anna E. Kravis, Song and Puppetry Concert

The series is made possible in part with funds provided by City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. through a grant from the city Department of Youth and Community Development, the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York state Council on the Arts, administered by the Queens Council on the Arts, City Department of Cultural Affairs, Doral Bank, Athens Square Inc., and Councilmember Eric Gioia through the Dutch Kills Civic Association.

For more information or directions, call 718- 728-7820 or visit www.centralastoria.org.