On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 7:00PM, Danza Floricanto/USA will present the 16th consecutive year of its Mexican tradition of the Christmas Holidays with the company’s annual Navidad en Whittier program. Because of pandemic restrictions the company will not perform live but will present Navidad en el Barrio online with dance, music and song inspired by the rich traditions of the Mexican community. Tickets are $15 per virtual link. (Details below)
“Navidad en Whittier celebrates the traditional music and dance styles of Mexico, beginning with the long honored procession celebrating “la madre de todos los mexicanos, La Virgen de Guadalupe-the mother of all Mexicans, The Virgin of Guadalupe.” The dance selections will range from the vibrant dances of Sinaloa and the machete virtuosity in the dances of Nayarit to the timeless devotion singing of hymns to La Virgencita de Guadalupe, along with the traditional breaking of the Piñata. The company will also perform traditional suites from Chiapas, Tamaulipas and Jalisco. And of course, Floricanto’s long time musical collaborators, Mariachi Mexicapan, led by Ray Medina, will round out the festivities during the Navidad en el Barrio performance. The evening offers a broad spectrum of Mexican traditions-the procession to the Virgen de Gualdalupe, Conchero or Azteca dancing also in honor of the Virgencita, the mimetic dances from the state of Chiapas and the vibrant sounds of mariachi music accompanying the colorful dancers while they present the traditions of Tamaulipas, Sinaloa, and Jalisco. The evening culminates when the children are invited to join Floricanto in the traditional breaking of the piñata, virtually, of course.” – Danza Floricanto/USA Press Release 11/31/20
Danza Floricanto/USA – Region: Jalisco, Mariachi Mexicapan – Floricanto male ensemble – Photo courtesy of the company
Navidad en el Barrio promises to be a perfect choice for the entire family to celebrate and share the heritage of Mexican communities during the holidays without leave the safety and comfort of one’s home. The company encourages you to invite your moms, dads, children and grandchildren to join you in making it part of your own annual holiday traditions.
Danza Floricanto/USA – Region: Jalisco, Dancer: Mimi Rios – Photo courtesy of the company
Danza Floricanto/USA was founded in 1975 by Gema Sandoval as a professional dance company with the purpose of preserving Mexican culture and validating it as a cultural and artistic expression of the Latino people in the United States, while developing awareness and appreciation for it through live performance. Sandoval’s Fandango Angeleno was presented on the opening of the 1999 Kaleidoscope Festival and other works include Si Se Puede/Yes You Can, a work inspired by labor activist and United Farm Workers founder, Cesar Chavez, and co-choreographed with Loretta Livingston; Dia de los Muertos-Day of the Dead Celebration; and her 2003 collaboration with Kayamanan Ng Lahi Philippine Dance company, From Acapulco to Manila-Another Story from the Pacific Rim commemorating the musical and dance traditions of the Mexican and Philipino people to list only a few.
Danza Floricanto/USA – La Piñata – Photo courtesy of the company
Here are the details to enjoy this wonderful celebration:
WHO: Danza Floricanto/USA, Director, Gema Sandoval
Danza Floricanto/USA, Assistant Director Christie Rios
WHAT: Navidad en El Barrio
WHEN: Saturday, December 19, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Via Virtual link
TICKETS: $15 per link
To purchase the video link and for more information, please click HERE. Or contact Floricanto at 213-466-2611.
To visit the Danza Floricanto/USA website, click HERE. To follow the company on Facebook, click HERE.
The Navidad en el Barrio 2020 Presentation was made possible with funding from the Los Angeles County Arts Department of Arts and Culture OGP I Program and the California Arts Council’s Local Impact Program.
By Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Danza Floricanto/USA – Region: Tamaulipas – Mariachi Mexicapan – Floricanto dancers – Photo courtesy of the company.
