L.A. Escapes — Big World Fun Family Series

An eight-year-old doing gravity-defying capoiera moves, an adorable tortoise named "Tortellini" and a middle-aged Bobby McFerrin-type dude in white leather Keds doing the Bankhead Bounce.

These are just a few of the visual treats my daughter and I have enjoyed at this summer's line-up of Big! World! Fun! Family Series at the Ford Amphitheater. Yesterday, she and I did the pony, the twist and some Afro-Haitian dance moves to traditional Southern and Gullah children's songs, courtesy of the Bay Area's Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir.

The Family Series started in early July and runs every Saturday through Aug. 27. It's free for kids and only $5 for adults. It's a fully engaging hour of outdoor (tarp-shaded) entertainment that's a perfect fit for that random pre-lunch timeframe. Kids learn about the music and dance styles of cultures — from Vietnamese to Brazilian to zydeco.

The next event (Mexican folk ballet) is August 13 at 10 a.m. If you get there early enough, kids can participate in hands-on activities, such as crafts, animal petting stations and the like. And there are usually CDs for sale afterward and the performers make themselves available for meet-and-greets and photo ops.

Things to know:

-Parking is $1 up front. It's stacked parking, too. So, if you have a tiny and/or testy one and worry that your antsy kid may necessitate leaving early, know that, well...you can't. That is, unless you get there super early and park very strategically.

-The first time I went, I bought tix online, which turned out well because it was packed. The second time, I was able to walk right up and buy the ticket right before the show starts. I don't know if some shows are just more in-demand than others. Maybe call?

-There are seats, but they're not assigned. It's first come, first served. (Also, not every seat is a shady one; there are a few cracks in the shade tarp. And there's no shade at all in the back rows.)

-Bring water.

-Bring your own snacks, too (at least, if you're as uptight about what your kid eats as I am). You can eat inside the seated area, but all they sell at the concession stand is movie-style popcorn and other sugary and salty junk food.

-You should get up and dance. Your kid will benefit from seeing you do it...even if you're not particularly good at it. Sure, you may clap on the 1's and 3's. But do it with heart and a smile on your face and your kid will learn a lesson about being uninhibited. Don't be a lame!