IT'S THAT TIME of year again: when performers audition for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. While dance in general may be fragmented in the Bay Area, dance rooted in community traditions from around the world is amazingly cohesive. With performances by professionals, amateurs, and everybody in between – concerned with fostering cultural identity, as well as both preserving traditions and innovating within them – the so-called ethnic dance community is by far the largest component of Bay Area dance. It's also always in flux, always renewing itself. The yearly San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival (June 11 to 26) presents a distillation of this plethora of talent. But for sheer fun and excitement, the January auditions can't be beat. This year there are 104 groups participating. Ensembles perform for 10 minutes, soloists 5. The tempo is fairly leisurely since time has to be allowed for the judges to make their decision. It's an event that feels like an outdoor picnic, where, between acts, people visit, step out, and come back later; an entire day pass costs only $5. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., San Francisco State University, Creative Arts Building, 1600 Holloway, S.F. $5. (415) 474-3914, www.worldartswest.org. (Rita Felciano)