Comedian George Lopez dances with Mariachi Veritas de Harvard after receiving a serenade from the lead singer at the Cultural Rhythms show Saturday.

Actor and comedian George Lopez joined The Kuumba Singers, Fuerza Latina and 16 other student groups to perform in front of a packed Sanders Theatre Saturday for the 19th annual Cultural Rhythms show.

Lopez, widely known for his role in the ABC television comedy with his name, was this year’s recipient of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations’ annual “Artist of the Year” award.

Past honorees have included Queen Latifah, Jackie Chan and Matt Damon, Class of 1992.

The show kicked off when Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter introduced the masters of ceremonies, Lopez and Rosa Ríos ’87. Ríos, one of the original organizers of the Cultural Rhythms show, shared the spotlight with Lopez as the evening’s honorary host.

“You’re in for a real treat today,” Counter said.

Candela, a group of dancers sponsored by Fuerza Latina, opened the show with upbeat Latin dancing and ended with a salsa number that received responded with loud applause from the audience.

The ’07 Steppers got the pulse up as the group of around 30 first-years clapped, banged and stomped on the Sanders Theatre stage.

Also among the presenters was the Harvard Wushu club, a group of around 20 men and women who demonstrated various forms of Chinese martial arts.

After each performance, one of the participants presented Lopez with a rose and sat with him to watch the next piece.

Throughout the evening Lopez laughed over his inability to pronounce some of the names.

“I’m having so much fun I’m not even thinking about reading,” Lopez said. “This better be an easy one. In high school, I thought SAT meant Saturday,” he said.

But Lopez also struck a more serious note during the performance.

“I don’t think it’s lost on any of the performers that [the statues at the edges of the stage] are white,” he said.

After a short intermission, Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, who said he was representing the administration, joined Counter on stage to present Lopez with his award as the Foundation’s “Artist of the Year.”

While both University President Lawrence H. Summers and former Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 had attended the show in previous years, neither Summers nor Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 attended Saturday’s ceremony.