My friend Oscar Diaz Jr. is as proud as punch these days. The reason is, Rosie Herrera, one of his voice students, is the choreographer for The Donkey Show, now playing at the Arsht Center in downtown Miami.

Said Diaz, "I saw the show recently, choreographed by our very own multi-talented Performers Music Institute student lyric coloratura Rosie and it was so much fun."

Diaz said Herrera has studied with him for the past 11 years, "while doing outstanding work in the world of choreography."

He said Herrera has ben named as one of the top 10 modern dance choreographers in the nation. She also has a dance company — The Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre.

Diaz said The Donkey Show, which closes on Sept. 2, is a conception of a 1970’s disco (a la Studio 54 in New York) and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Diane Paulus and her husband Randy Weiner. He said Paulus is one of Broadway’s and opera’s best known directors today. Just recently she received rave reviews for her staging of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, with Audra McDonald in the leading role of Bess on Broadway.

To learn more about Herrera and her dance company visit www.rosieherrera.com/about-rosie. Or you may call Diaz at 305-757-7725.

Our Lady of Charity

This week, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Miami will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the finding of statue of Our Lady of Charity in Cuban waters. As a part of the celebration, on Wednesday, the Ermita de la Caridad Shrine will hand out free copies of the book Historia de Nuestra Senora la Virgen de la Caridad del Salvador Larrua Geudes, to representatives of Catholic schools and universities.

The event will be at 11 a.m. at the Varela Hall, which is next to the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity at 3609 S. Miami Ave. in Coconut Grove.

According to a press release from the archdiocese, the two-volume book is a well-researched account of the 400 years of presence of Our Lady of Charity in the heart of the Cuban people, and of believers from every nation. The book took 16 years to complete.

The University of Miami, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University and St. Thomas University are among the universities receiving a copy of the book for their libraries..

Nursing Research

The University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies will host the XIII Pan American Nursing Research Colloquium, from 8 to 11 a.m. on Sept. 5, at Loew’s Miami Beach American Ballroom, Level 2, 1601 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach.

The program will feature internationally renowned nurse scientists, scholars and nursing professionals, who will meet for the first time in the United States in a biennial global gathering that will also include researchers and students. The program’s theme is "Global Nursing Research Challenges for the Millennium". Some of the leading global nursing leaders will convene in an effort to tackle nursing research challenges of the 21st century and to strengthen evidence-based nursing practice around the world, as well as to disseminate emerging advances in research related to clinical practice, health systems, health services, and educational strategies. The event is expecting over 1,000 attendees.

For more information, visit the conference website at: www.umpanamconference2012.com.

Hunger Action Month