Célébrons 100 Ans de Culture Française

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and Alliance Française de Pasadena Board President Dan Slater at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Eddie Rivera/Pasadena Now]

Alliance Française de Pasadena Board President Dan Slater, Alliance Française de Pasadena Executive Director Emma Franks, Helene Siegel, and Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo addresses attendees at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo presents certificate of recognition to Alliance Française de Pasadena at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Savannah Moore, representative of L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, presents certificate of recognition to Alliance Française de Pasadena at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Dmitri Demianenko, Alliance Française de Pasadena Executive Director Emma Franks, and Alliance Française de Pasadena Board President Dan Slater at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Jackie Menaster, Pam Kaye, Barbara Larson, Elizabeth Schetina, Greg Schetina, Gail Reisman, and Robert Olsen at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Virginie Smith, Nathalie Levis, and Pamela Meyer at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Victor Garcia, Ana Vizcarra, and Joel Aldade at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Jeff and Leslie Gersten at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

May Esber, Alexandra Moreau, Valerie Daval, Fanchon Gerard, and Christophe Deluy at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Helene Siegel and Chloe Perrier at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Alliance Française de Pasadena teachers Mareme Niasse, Valerie Daval, May Esber, Agathe Moulett, and Alexandra Moreau at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Marina Petrossian, Lloyd Wong, and Kathleen Peck at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Marilou Mirkovich, Steve Boyle, and Becky Touber at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Mareme Niasse and Babaette Sparr at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Katherine Gavzy, Barbara Larson, and Pam Kaye at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Tieumy Nguyen and Alexandra Moreau at the Alliance Française de Pasadena's 100th Anniversary Celebration [Paul Takizawa/Pasadena Now]

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo likes to often refer to Pasadena as “the center of the universe” in his public addresses. On Thursday that universe included France.

Pasadena’s Alliance Francaise, part of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA, celebrated its 100th year in Pasadena on Wednesday at the Pasadena Hotel and Pool, with French champagne and a French chanteuse cooing French love songs.

Gordo and a representative of Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office were among the guests. Both presented the Alliance with certificates of recognition.

“I think the significance here,” said Alliance Board President Dan Slater, “is that Pasadena, perhaps unbeknownst to some people, is a real center of culture. And it started with a French immigrant, who came to Pasadena to study at Caltech, and later became a professor of European history there, Paul Ellie Perigord.”

Perigord eventually founded the Pasadena Chapter of the Alliance in 1924, a nonprofit organization founded in 1883, that represents more than 100 chapters in the United States. Its national board of 18 members is made up of representatives from Alliance Française chapters from across the country.

Slater continued, “This was originally a very staid and formal organization, and over the years it morphed into an educational organization and cultural center.”

Today, says Slater, the Alliance is one of the more important organizations in Pasadena.

“Pasadena has all these museums and live theater, and so much,” Slater continued, “and we look to be part of that group of cultural institutions that people will enjoy here.”

The Alliance Française is the largest network of French language and cultural centers in the world.

The Alliances around the world are “dedicated to promoting French language and francophone culture in order to foster relationships between people of all nationalities, ethnicities and races,” its website notes.

Remarking on the Alliance’s longevity, Emma Franks, Executive Director of Alliance Française de Pasadena, added, “100 years is amazing, it’s a long time for anything, and we are so happy that the French language and culture attracts so many people.”

Dimitri Demianenko, Deputy Consul General for France, brought greetings from the motherland and congratulated the Alliance on its achievement.

“This gala,” Demianenko said, “is a moment to honor all of you for your love of France, and your loyalty to its language and its culture. This makes you essential partners in our mission and true ambassadors of the bonds that bind France and the United States.”

Demianenko added that, “This partnership, above all, lies at the heart of our mutual respect for more than two centuries.”

And then Chloe Perrier sang her love songs.