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From Latin America to Africa, from Europe to South Asia, Prince George's County's international arts and entertainment offerings are enough to satisfy a world traveler who longs for a diversity of cultural experiences.

Residents can experience cultures from around the world at various performing arts venues, community centers, restaurants and private studios. The county's three cultural arts centers — Harmony Hall in Fort Washington, Publick Playhouse in Cheverly and Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel — offer diverse programming.

Harmony Hall assistant director of arts Kelly Chauncey-Smith said the programming is intentionally eclectic.

"We just want to make sure we are diverse because we see the changes in Prince George's County," he said. "You can take a snapshot of many of our communities and see a microcosm [of the world]."

In the upcoming months, Harmony Hall will host Caribbean bands, classical Indian dancers and African drumming. Publick Playhouse will feature a world dance showcase March 21 and a Russian circus in the summer. Montpelier Arts Center will host Latin jazz and Cajun music later this spring.

There are a number of ways to experience the world's continents without having to leave the county's borders. Here are a few highlights:

Africa

There are many African musical performances in the county throughout the year, but residents can learn how to create the art themselves at various drumming and dancing classes.

Lesina Martin teaches a West African dance class at Joe's Movement Emporium. She incorporates students from the studio's African drumming class during her own class.

Mylah Garlington of Hyattsville has been dancing for years. The 28-year-old said the moves she's learned in Martin's class are identical to ones she has seen during her trips to Africa.

"It's a way to express who I already am using movement," Garlington said. "It's one thing to know that you're African, but it's much more fulfilling to practice the art and traditions from your heritage."

Participants of all ages in Martin's class dance down a line in twos toward the drummers, each time performing a different movement. The dancers and drummers play off of the energy of one another, creating a scene not much unlike that thousands of miles away.

Middle East

There are a few Middle Eastern restaurants dotted throughout the county's landscape, but that's not the only way to experience the culture.

There are a number of belly dance classes, including ones at Beltsville's Eleanor Pernia Studio of Dance and Mount Rainier's Joe's Movement Emporium.

Laurel Gray, instructor of the class at Joe's, teaches dances originating from throughout North Africa and the Middle East. The belly dancing she teaches is more centered on its folkloric origins rather than just giving students a good workout.

Dance student Marcea Austin of Washington, D.C., said the class has improved her worldview.

"We're not only dancing here," Austin said. "[Gray] gives us an international view of women from all around the world."

Gray includes explanations of the origins of the dances and what the particular moves mean, student Kathy Papienski of College Park said.

"It's great we don't have to travel as far as Bethesda to take this class," she said.

During the class, participants learn choreographed dances that require them to isolate their hips or torsos while moving their arms about, while shawls around their waists jingle with their movements.

Latin America

There are ways to enjoy Latin music aside from attending one of the many salsa, merengue and bachata dance classes offered in county community centers or private studios.

El Charro in Laurel hosts karaoke on the weekends after the regular dining crowd finishes dinner. While attendees can request to sing English songs, the majority of wannabe-singers prefer to sing Spanish songs to a crowd of 70 or 80 people.

"Most of the Spanish places have karaoke now. It's very popular," manager Vladimir Hernandez said. "In dancing, you have to pay an admission to get in, and in my place you don't pay. And not everyone wants to dance."

The restaurant at 933 Fairlawn Ave. hosts karaoke after 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and after 8 p.m. on Sundays.

South Asia

The Laurel Cinemas 6 movie theater is a Bollywood beacon for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Manager Pankaj Patel said movie-goers come from as far away as Pennsylvania and Delaware to watch Indian movies on the big screen.

"We have regulars. They like these kinds of movies," he said.

The theater, owned by Phoenix Theatres, used to play a mix of Hollywood and Bollywood movies, but the company recently made the switch to showing exclusively Bollywood movies at the Laurel location because it's more profitable, Patel said.

The theater at 371 Armstrong Ave. has six screens and plays movies in Hindi, Tamil and a range of other languages, Patel said.

Southeast Asia

The Wat Tummaprateip Thai Buddhist temple in Accokeek holds a few big annual festivals, inviting the public to enjoy dance and song performances and browse Thai art and food vendors.

Dara Lee, a volunteer at the temple, said hundreds of people attend the new year celebration, making it the temple's biggest event.

This year's event on April 26 will feature dance performances and singing which portrays "the culture of giving back to the Buddha," Lee said.

The free event at 36 Farmington Road West will also have art and food vendors selling their goods. In celebration of the temple's anniversary, the temple plans to hold a similar event Sunday, but on a smaller scale

Europe

One of the very few Irish pubs in the county is the Old Bowie Town Grille. Although the restaurant has cut back its Irish-themed music events, including a regular Celtic open mic, it does hold four Irish music nights throughout the year.

"I'd love to have more Irish and Celtic entertainment, but for whatever reason it hasn't been supported," co-owner Bob Thompson said. "Blues, classic rock and even country have been really well-supported."

Thompson said a St. Patrick's Day celebration is the biggest Irish event the tavern holds. This year's daylong event on March 17 will include performances by The Brothers McGinnis, the Prince George's County Police Pipe Band and Mark Hammett. Traditional Irish food and drink fare is also available.

Other Irish events include Halfway to St. Patrick's Day in September and two St. Practice Day open mics in January and February, all featuring Irish music.

Caribbean

Prince George's residents don't have to go far to hear live music from the Caribbean.

Crossroads in Bladensburg offers live music throughout the year, featuring well-known reggae, soca and dancehall musicians. The venue, which includes a stage, a club and a restaurant, is at 4103 Baltimore Ave.

Booking agent Lisa Hollomand said she tries to bring a variety of live acts to the venue.

"Crossroads is commonly known as a home away from home, and for friends of the Caribbean as well," she said.

Business manager Kellee Lockwood said the club has popular events on the weekends.

"This is a club where people from all islands in the Caribbean and even African countries can come and hear the music that's native to them," she said.

Crossroads holds a large outdoor reggae festival in September with a full stage and performances by popular musicians. The club also hosts a large concert in June the week of the D.C. Carnival event.

E-mail Elahe Izadi at eizadi@gazette.net.