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Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company
Tercera Raiz
Sat. July 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Throughout Latin America, the African spirit mingled with native and Spanish culture to spawn new dances and rhythms. Mexican and Ghanaian choreographers craft an odyssey from Veracruz’s black enclaves to Mexican cinema’s Cuban dance craze to Sinaloa’s carnavals.
Full price $35, $25
Buy 3 or more events and pay only $28, $20
Students and Children $5
Extended Information
Tercera Raiz or Third Root, is the term used to reflect the third component (African descendents) of the historical ethnic make up of Mexicans, more commonly perceived of as a mixture of only Spanish and Indigenous descendents. The Mexican government in the 1990s officially recognized the existence of Afro-Mexicans. Thus for more than 500 years, the presence and influence of Afro-Mexicans have been marginalized despite their innumerable contributions to Mexican cultural life.
Tercera Raiz is in three sections. The first component is explored in two suites. The first is an Aztec piece “La Guerra Florida,” choreographed by Jose Vences, which depicts a common Meso American practice of rehearsing warfare tactics during times of peace. “De Cara al Mar” is an exploration of the direct African contribution of music and dance fused with traces of Spanish and indigenous influence as presented in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Wherever their number allowed, slaves created networks that permitted them to cope with their experience, giving expression to their humanity and providing a manner of maintaining a sense of self. These networks flourished in areas such as Veracruz and Guerrero, where the intersect of the Spanish, Indigenous and African cultures forged new and dynamic relationships that would become the basis of Mexico’s cultural heritage. This work was developed in collaboration with leading Mexican Choreographer Viviana Basanta Hernandez and Iddi Saaka, a choreographer from Ghana.
The second story line reflects the consequence of the merging of three cultures, which is evident in areas such as Guerrero and Sinaloa, pieces choreographed by Jose Vences. Early trade routes from Spain and Chile brought various influences to important port state, which already had a large Afro-Mexican population. In Sinaloa, the influence of the African spirit and rhythms have been reshaped and molded to create something singularly Mexican. With its lively music, carnavalesqe style costumes for the women and the bravado style of the men, Sinaloa is the synthesis of two distinct cultures in the reflection of modern day Mexico.
As the African presence was diffused over time throughout Latin America, it was molded and combined with various indigenous influences to create something truly unique. One of those places where this new combination of cultures created something magical was in Cuba. There we saw the birth of the Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Conga, and Rumba; music and dance styles that were ripe with African influence. In the 1940s, during the height of the Mexican Golden Age of Cinema, these dynamic music and dances were introduced to the Mexican masses where they took hold with great fervor. In the last section, Pasion Rumbera, choreographed by company member Adrian Saldana, the story of the Mexican Rumberas is told through the eyes of a young girl as she climbs the ranks of the seedy urban dance clubs to become a bonified “Rumbera.”
Live music will be provided by the accomplished Grupo Cuicatlanensemble, directed by Geraldo Palma and Sergio Alonso, dedicated to preserving Mexico’s rich musical traditions.
Grandeza Mexicana, a professional quality folk dance company founded by Jose Vences in 2003, has as its primary goal to present performances that inspire and educate audiences on the beauty and diversity of Mexico’s colorful dance traditions. Stylized choreographies are developed through research on Mexican folk dance and culture; input from collaborating choreographers and historians; and by studying and appreciating the work of other artists. |
