Dance unites cultures in San Diego

<figure id="attachment_26827" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26827" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/featured/dance-unites-cultures-in-san-dieg…; rel="attachment wp-att-26827"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-26827" alt=" Minerva Tapia and her group of dances will present three works: In Proceso. Photo by Scott Belding" src="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/MinervaTapia_by…; width="300" height="200" srcset="https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Minerva… 300w, https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Minerva… 1024w, https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Minerva… 1800w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-26827" class="wp-caption-text">Minerva Tapia and her group of dances will present three works: In Proceso. Photo by Scott Belding</figcaption></figure>
San Diego will end the month of April with the flavor and magic of Latino dance.
From contemporary and experimental dance to Indigenous ceremonial dance and ballet folklorico, Latin rhythm will be present in two large events.
On Sunday, April 27th, San Diego Dance Theater will bring Compañía Minerva Tapia, one the most popular Tijuana dance companies, to The White Box as part of the Second Annual Live Arts Fest, at NTC Liberty Station.
Minerva Tapia and her group of dances will present three works: In Proceso, about people at the border; Aura, inspired by the classic horror novel by Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes; and Lynchtown, choreography with a historical background.
In that trilogy of works, the Minerva Tapia Company “adopts a perspective that allows a careful balance of dance art, a narrative choreography, and the recreation of a social context,” according to the online program.
For Jean Isaacs, artistic director and founder of San Diego Dance Theater, it is always important to include Latino dancers and to take dance to Latino audiences. Isaacs said that in the past this audience has been left behind, so she has tried to change that.
“We have to reach out to this market in a real and continued way with programs that appeal to them, that feature Latino themes and dancers,” said Isaacs, who speaks perfect Spanish. “I am not talking about folkloric dance but truly contemporary dance, dance which is global in its world view. I think that this is our most effective marketing strategy and one into which we will pour our resources for years to come.”
The Live Arts Fest had another Latino-themed event on April 17th, when it presented a potpourri of Latino dance.
“I am thrilled by the increasing diversity in our audiences and on our stages,” Isaacs said.
Across town, at the Centro Cultural de la Raza, in Balboa Park, on Tuesday, April 29th, dancers from all over San Diego will celebrate International Dance Day, an event that is hosted throughout the world to unite cultures and break all barriers through dance.
At the event a diverse group of dance companies and groups will participate, among them Patricia Rincon Dance Collective with its contemporary dance, Danza Coatlicue with its ceremonial dance, Omo Ache with Afro-Cuban dance, and Maldodanz with the poetry of Chicana writer Sonia Gutierrez.
“Dance is an important part of the different cultures represented in this even because it represents the diversity that it has to express the identity of nations, philosophies, and personal identities,” said Patricia Maldonado, coordinator of the free event at the Centro Cultural de la Raza and herself an experienced dancer. “But the main element is the love we feel for dance.”
Maldonado, who organized the first International Dance Day at the Centro two years ago, said that she hopes the event becomes a tradition where dancers and dance lovers come together every year to celebrate.
“My hope is that the Centro Cultural de la Raza maintains this tradition to unite the community through dance in San Diego and its neighbors,” she said.
Compañía Minerva Tapia performs as part of the Live Arts Fes ton Saturday, April 27th, at The White Box, at NTC Liberty Station, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Details: <a href="http://www.sandiegodancetheater.org" target="_blank">www.sandiegodancetheater.org</a>.
The International Dance Day is on Tuesday, April 29th, at the Centro Cultural de la Raza, in Balboa Park, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is a free event. Details: <a href="http://www.centroculturaldelaraza.com" target="_blank">www.centroculturaldelaraza.com</a>.

Dance unites cultures in San Diego

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