Dance has the power to transform and inform...Flashback to Virginia Currents episode
The is a beautiful reminder of why Latin Ballet was started and why dance can transform lives.
http://www.pbs.org/video/virginia-currents-parents-against-bullying-latin-ballet-virginia-2508/
SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL 2018: UNITED BY MUSIC
We are so excited to be able to perform on May 19th at this wonderful event.
We are schedule to perform on Saturday May 19, 2018.
Here is more information:
Southside Big Tent Community Festival
Southside Community Center
6255 Old Warwick Road, Richmond, VA 23224
Stay tuned for where to park – Free shuttle service!
FESTIVAL DATES:
Friday, May 18, 2018 & Saturday, May 19, 2018
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 18, 2018 from 5:00 – 7:30PM: Enjoy a special Richmond Symphony Evening Performance under the Big Tent with world-renowned Latin dance band, Bio Ritmo!
Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 12:30 – 7:30PM: Join us for a Family Day including performances by: Richmond Public Schools and Legacy Band, culminating with a Dance Party with DJ Missing! Other activities are still in the works but are likely to include a skateboard competition in the skate park, a community art gallery showcasing work from local students and schools, and a Kid’s Zone you won’t want to miss!
Enrollment for Arts in Education Summer Day Camps
We want to remind all you parents out there that it is time to enroll in our Summer Day Camp series! Fun for ages 5-14 years with many activities including arts and crafts, dance and music! Sign up now!
Latin Ballet of Virginia recognizes Black History Month: The Pioneers
Latin Ballet is celebrating Black History Month with the most influential and inspiring dancers and choreographers. These are their stories of the challenges they overcame throughout history. These are their stories of success and their rise to legendary status. Every week this month we will present African-Americans who persevered and diligently fought for their right to dance on the stages of the world and showed the world that race has no place in the arts...or anywhere else for that matter. These individuals are the inspiration for so many of our modern day dances and the reason that African/Caribbean dance was brought America. We commend these amazing talents.
Raven Wilkinson
She was the first black ballerina to be accepted into a major classical ballet company. She faced horrific racism and danger while she danced, but triumphed as a pioneer of dance.
Janet Collins
The first black prima ballerina who danced for the Metropolitan Opera in 1951. She became a teacher, a choreographer, and always a dancer. Because of her great passion for dance, Janet broke the color barriers of history.
Bill "Mr. Bojangles" Robinson
A Richmond, VA native, Mr. Bojangles could often be seen next to Miss Shirley Temple and was the highest paid African-American entertainer in his time. He would bring musicality to tap that no one had seen before using stairs as his medium.
Pearl Primus
Miss Primus brought African dance to the American Audience. As an anthropologist, dancer and choreographer, Primus brought the spirituality of African dance to the stage. She was impactful in her use of literature, poetry and traditions in dance.
Florence Mills
Known as the "Queen of Jazz", Florence Mills, was a successful Vaudeville dancer and singer. She played a part in the very first all black Broadway show, "Dixie to Broadway". Her dancing was infectious and it was said that the Prince of Wales could be seen tapping his feet when she took the stage. She died of medical complications at the young age of 31.
Catherine Dunham
Catherine Dunham brought her worldly dance experience to stage and film. She brought dance education to low income and high risk youths in St. Louis. She incorporated African and Caribbean movements into contemporary dance creating her own unique technique. She was also the first to form an all black dance company bringing ritualistic dance to American audiences.
Arthur Mitchell
Arthur Mitchell's accomplishments include creating the first African-American classical ballet company. The word "no" never existed in his vocabulary and he was quite determined despite the times. He inspired young people in Harlem to have self-confidence and motivation and accepted anyone who wanted to work. Discipline and determination, were key elements to the success of his school
Alvin Ailey
Known as "Cultural Ambassador to the World", Mr Ailey was a choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. His work revolutionized modern dance and it's popularity in concert dance performance.
Norma Miller
The "Queen of Swing, Norma Miller was discovered at the age of 12. She would later go on as the creator of the Lindy Hop. She's known for her comedic performances and her acrobatic dancing. She's still dancing at 97 years old and has worked with such great Jazz legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
Josephine Baker
Titled with such monikers as "Black Venus," "Black Pearl" and "Creole Goddess", Josephine Baker is a legendary dancer, singer and actress. She was provocative and humorous and left her mark on the world of dance for her bold performances. She was world renown with great popularity for her work on the stages of Paris. She fought segregation through organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and inspired the liberation of many women!
Educators Reserve Now!
Latin Ballet of Virginia presents…
NuYoRican
A Migration that began a Movement that shaped a Culture
Artistic Director: Ana I. King
Objective: To teach and expose students to the historical event of the migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States after WWII through dance.
Summary:
NUYORICAN explores the true stories of Puerto Ricans who migrated to the United States after WWII and the depths of hardship and eventual triumph that came with assimilation. It is about the cultural shock they experienced due to the enormous changes that followed from Puerto Rico after being declared a U.S. protectorate. It captures the emotions of what it is to be a stranger in a strange land and finding your identity within your own culture while acclimating to another.
Please join us as we celebrate Puerto Rican culture with inspirations and true accounts from such authors as Julia Barden Torres (Newyorican Girl...Surviving My Spanglish Life), Piri Thomas (Down These Mean Streets), Esmerada Santiago (When I was Puerto Rican) and a special tribute to Puerto Rican percussionist and musician Tito Puente.
A relevant piece in modern times.
Times: Thursday-Friday: 10:30am; Friday: 7:30pm; Saturday: 3pm & 7:30pm; Sunday: 3pm
Location: Cultural Arts Center in Glen Allen, 2880 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, VA
Capacity: 350
Cost: Groups of 10 or more - $10 per ticket including Chaperones and Teachers
Incentives:
- Students receive extra credit for attending.
- Great for ESL, Spanish, and History Classes
- Reserve your tickets now for your group!
- We are available to come perform at your school. Please contact us for information or visit our website at www.latinballet.com
Latin Ballet: This isn't your abuela's ballet.
Hola!
One of the new things we are doing through the Latin Ballet of Virginia website is providing resources and knowledge of Latin American and Spanish traditions/customs/cultures. It is important as ambassadors of dance and culture to not only show you dance, but also to teach others where it all comes from and who we are as a community. As we progress through 2017, Latin Ballet of Virginia will showcase our dancers, our heritage, our students, our interests, and our community through dance and as a way for you all to get to know us a little better. We embrace the opportunity to share stories about who we are and educate others on where we come from.
A New Start with an Old Friend
by: Jo Ann Breaux
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street...
That song was embedded in my little brain for my entire childhood. I hadn't revisited Sesame Street until a child came into my life. I remembered all the characters including the actual people on the show---Maria, Luis, Mr. Gordon, and Mr. Hooper. I also recall watching it every day in the lunch room in Kindergarten and it was on the day Heather Hayes decided to slap me across my 5 year old face. Shocked and confused, I just kept watching the Count and went about my business. At that time I had Sesame Street, Electric Company, 321 Contact and Zoom to keep me company when my parents were at work.
The wonderful thing about Sesame Street was not only was it teaching me pre-school skills, but it was teaching me about culture and language without me even knowing it. Growing up in a partially Latin family, it was comforting to hear these characters I grew to love, speaking and teaching the language of my heritage. I learned many Spanish words watching Sesame Street and the way the format was created, I effectively learned it. I grew up in a tri-lingual home, where I was not taught uno, deux, or any of the three languages my parents could speak. That's anotehr story for another time, which brings me to today.
Recently, I've been teaching Spanish vocabulary to my boyfriend's daughter. She is absorbing the language quite well at 3 years old and loves to ask me in Spanish, "Jo Ann, yo quiero jugo de manzana, por favor!" I was actually surprised at how well she asked for apple juice, but I'm more surprised she does it without thinking now. This weekend, I was playing some games on PBS Kids with my her and I mistakenly hit "Videos" while playing a Sesame Street game and was brought to an amazing discovery...Sesame Street is still teaching Spanish and it's also teaching the culture of Latin America and Spain. I'm sure this isn't news to all of you who have children, but for me, who hadn't watched the show since I was a little one, it was fantastic to see!
Sure, we have Dora, Manny, and Elena now, but Sesame Street has been around for ages and to me has been such a huge foundation in implementing not only a bi-lingual education, but a preservation of Latin and Spanish culture through educational television and now the internet. What's prize-winning about Sesame Street after all these years is that it holds the attention of children, and let's face it, kids are hard to keep focused. Not unlike, Latin Ballet, Sesame Street also caters to diversity, children's self-esteem and competency, as well as teaching them how to deal with real-life situations. I also have to say, it's still appealing to watch as an adult!
So, this is just a big shout out to PBS for staying consistent over all these years and really implementing different cultural experiences to children through language and education and because it so closely relates to what LBV strives to achieve. So, MUY BUENA, Sesame Street!
Here's what I'm referring to:
Source: PBS and You Tube
And for those of you who want a little blast from the past...
After 44 years on Sesame Street, veteran, Sonia Manzano's character, Maria was one of my favorites!
Hey you guys!!! Rita Moreno and her famous shout for Electric Company
From the second season, the opening credits of "The Bloodhound Gang" which were a series of short mysteries that aired as part of "3-2-1 Contact" on PBS.
Latin Ballet Offers Educational Programs
We Invite Educators of Virginia to Participate
Create and strengthen connections to Hispanic/Latin American cultures through innovative and immersive dance-inspired education and performances that affect positive and sustainable change in people’s lives.
The Latin Ballet of Virginia offers many educational programs to Virginia educators. Our educational programs received the Jane Baskerville Award for the best community education program for World Languages in Chesterfield County Public Schools, Virginia and the Best Artists in Residency for Multicultural Programs Award, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina.
We would love to provide elective or after-school programs to the students of your schools. We also offer programming for school field trips! Here a few of our programs:
“Ana Ines Barragan King, Antonio Hidalgo Paz and the other dancers that accompanied them are truly Ambassadors of Culture. We are so fortunate to have them as part of our community in Central Virginia. What an honor! After the activity, as their teacher leading the event, I felt like I had spoken the language of the heart of the students for the first time in a very long time. They LONG for opportunities such as this! An incredible experience! ”
Legend of the Poinsettia
Based on the Mexican legend of a young, pure-hearted girl who discovers the true spirit of giving. This program showcases holiday traditions in Latin America and Spain. A great program for the holidays!
NuYoRican tells the true stories of the Puerto Ricans who migrated to New York after World War II and the hardships and tribulations of their assimilation.
Based on Michael Ende's fantasy novel about the profound message of the concept of time and how it is used by humans in modern societies.
Poemas is a dance theater production exploring the works of poets Pablo Neruda, Edgar Allan Poe, Federico García Lorca, and Alfonsina Storni.
Although these are our current calendar items, we have many more productions available to students and teachers.
