Indian-American folk dancers from the Conejo Valley and Oxnard's Mexican-American Inlakech Ballet Folklorico may seem unusual choices for entertainment at a formal dinner.

But this particular dinner is a fundraiser for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., and these groups symbolize links in a chain that begins with Gandhi, who inspired King's embracement of nonviolent civil disobedience, and leads to César Chávez, whose mission to improve migrant workers' lives was influenced by King.

"It was my idea to invite these dance troupes," said George Corbin, co-chairman of the local campaign's steering committee. "It's a reading of history — a recognition of who came before and who has come after."

The dinner, which takes place on Thursday at the Hyatt Westlake, is the kickoff for Ventura County's fundraising effort. The committee of business and community leaders hopes to raise $1 million by this time next year.

If it's successful, a plaque on the donor wall will read: "Ventura County, California, Supports the Dream."

The groundbreaking ceremony took place last November, and the memorial is scheduled to be completed in spring 2008. The crescent-shaped structure, located in the Tidal Basin on the National Mall, will be surrounded by gardens, creating an atmosphere of tranquility that reflects King's philosophy of peace.

Alpha Phi Alpha, a national black fraternity that counts King as an alumnus, was the first to approach Congress about building the memorial.

Corbin and fellow co-chairman Everette Garmon are members of the local alumni chapter of the fraternity. "But, our fundraising group doesn't have an African-American orientation, and that's made clear by the makeup of our committee," said Corbin. "Dr. King is important to all Americans and to the world.

"The memorial will permanently remind us how he and others in the civil rights movement brought us closer to the spirit of the Constitution and the values we hold most high," he said. "We hope the residents of Ventura County will join us in this vision."

With these considerations in mind, Corbin sought Ventura County-based performers who mirrored the diversity of the community and embodied King's ideals. The Veena Narayanan Dancers and Inlakech Ballet Folklorico fit the bill perfectly and were pleased to volunteer their talents.

"I respect Mr. Corbin's concept of thinking globally about heroes who have spread the message of peace and harmony," said choreographer Veena Narayanan. "This will help keep the issue of social justice alive, and make people aware of others who believe in similar principles."

As a Westlake Village psychotherapist and social worker, Narayanan has helped victims of domestic violence. When her sister was murdered five years ago in India for political reasons, Narayanan was galvanized to use the beauty and grace of dance to counter the ugliness of violence.

Her dances have been performed at numerous events that benefit organizations providing services for victims of domestic abuse.

At the dinner, four dancers wearing traditional costumes, the salwar-kameez and dupatta, will present the bhangra gidda, a folk dance from the state of Punjab in North India that celebrates the harvest.

"The dance is often performed at happy events, just like the upcoming celebration of Martin Luther King," said Narayanan. She added, "One of the hymns Mahatma Gandhi used to sing was ‘Vaishnav jan to,' which means ‘a true human being is one who understands others' pain and has empathy,' and Dr. King lived these words."

Javier Gomez, the director and choreographer for the Inlakech Ballet Folklorico, has received numerous honors for his work as an educator, artist and humanitarian.

In 1993, he founded the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center, which offers visual and performing arts workshops free of charge to children and adults. The dance company is composed of upper-level students.

Four pairs of young dancers will perform "El Son de La Negra (The Black Son)," described by Gomez as "a popular dance that depicts the historical importance trains played in the Mexican revolution. The dancers imitate the movement of a traveling train."

Just like the civil rights movement, "the dance depicts hope, amidst the chaos and violence of the time," said Gomez.

The girls will wear multicolor Jalisco dresses, embellished with an excessive number of ribbons. "Dresses like these were made by local peasants to poke fun at aristocrats wearing lavish gowns to balls," explained Gomez. The boys will be dressed in traditional black Charro suits.

"We are honored to perform for an event that salutes a great American hero," said Gomez. "His teachings reflect our center's philosophy of bridging the gap between our societies. Any performer presenting cultural dances bears a vital responsibility as ambassadors of good will."

He noted the connection between King's outlook and his own. "Martin Luther King is the guiding light that shines on all my life efforts. Inlakech is a profound Mayan philosophy that depicts exactly what Dr. King preached and practiced: ‘You are my otherself. If I love and respect you, I love and respect myself. If I do harm to you, I do harm to myself; You are my otherself.'"