Dance
Beautiful and colourful costumes, dances that reflect the passion and culture of Latin America. A perfect way of learn and get involved with Latin America's roots. Children and adults will enjoy this performances and you will be invited to join in!!!
Inti Raymi
1:15pm - 1:30pm @ the Bar
Bolivia
The sun feast in Tiwanaku
The origin is Quechua and Aymara, Inti Raymi means Sun feast, and corresponds to an ancient celebration of prehispanic origin, in which not only they paid tribute to Inti, the Sun god, but also marks the beginning of the new andinian year. After the Spanish conquer, the festivity continued being celebrated, taking the opportunity of dates coincidence with Corpus Cristi brought by the Castellanos. This situation made this festivity alive till nowadays, acquiring syncretism and symbolic characteristics that make it unique and very interesting to know.
Nowadays, as it has a relevant touristic importance, it is recommendable to know some traditions to understand in a better way the sense of the celebration. The date coincides with the winter solstice in the south hemisphere, that is, the longer night of the year. During the Inca ages, this meant the beginning of a new year. That's the reason why nowadays not only in Bolivia this feast is celebrated, but also in Ecuador, Perú (mainly in Cusco), North of Chile and northeast of Argentina (Salta and Jujuy) they celebrate also the andinian new year, both in the Aymara and Quechua tradition.
In Bolivia, the principal place of celebration is the Tiwanaku ruins, at one hour from La Paz, in direction to Titicaca Lake and Desaguadero. In that place prospered the Tiwanacota culture, base of many of the cultures of the andinian world. In this ancient place you can find the Sun door, which is very important in the Inti Raymi celebration, because in the sunrise of the 21st, the sunlight comes through the door of same name, being the end of the party.
The Performers:
Following their roots and culture, this group of nine children aged between three and 12 wants to demonstrate their culture to the British audience. During their performance we will see traditional dances from different regions in Bolivia - like Cueca, Taquiri and Tinku and beautiful costumes.
For more information contact us.
Grupo del Sur
1:30pm - 2pm @ the Bar
Chile
Grupo del Sur promotes Latin America's folkloric culture by performing a variety of traditional dances from South America. All dances are performed in traditional costume. Their repertoire includes dances from the Andes - from the Altiplano (Highlands); Polynesian Dances from Rapa Nui (Easter Island); Dances from the Cono Sur (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Perú); Dances from Patagonia.
The Performers:
The members of Grupo del Sur comprise many nationalities and professions, from dancers and musicians to school teachers. All of them share the common aim of ensuring that Latin America's rich cultural heritage continues to be valued.
They also provide educational dance workshops in schools as part of their cultural and modern language programme. Grupo del Sur can perform their dances virtually anywhere, from the stage to a less formal setting. And where possible, you will be encouraged to participate in their performance.
For more information contact us.
Morenada Bloque Kantuto
3.15pm - 3:45pm @ the Bar
Bolivia
La Morenada is a music and dance style from the Bolivian Andes characterized by a mixture of African and native elements. The origin of the morenada goes back to the employment of black slaves in colonial Potosi, where the miners bought them to replace the indigenous mitayos (pawns). The Negroes had already disembarked in America together with the conquistadores (conquerors) and the indians were impressed by the colour of their skin. In fact, the morenada mocks this different of colour, the white men who are depicted leading imported African slaves.
The Performers:
As followers of the rich Bolivian folk living in London and inspired by the colour and majesty of the Morenada, this group was established in 2006. Morenada is the dance they perform, a spectacular dance known for its symbolism, showing the historical-cultural lapse between pre-Columbian and contemporary times: The Bloque - which means Block because in Bolivia people dance in different groups divided by blocks; and the Kantuta - the national flower that shows the colours of the flag (red, yellow and green). Their vision is to be a leading group in raising awareness and promoting this dance and many others from the rich Bolivian folklore to the international public in London.
For more information contact us.
Grupo Mestizo
4:30pm - 5pm @ the Bar
Mexico
Grupo Mestizo's show is a visual explosion of music and colour, filled with incredible power and energy. Each of their performances aims to highlight some of the most famous Mexican Folkloric dances of the region (state) represented. Their current choreographies include Mexican zapateado from the regions of Jalisco and Veracruz. On the day, their performance will be a display of exciting and colourful costumes and dances, which represent true Mexican Folklore, accompanied by the little Mariachi singer with a big voice: Catalina Bustos.
Zapateado is a Spanish dance which has led a genre of traditional music in Mexico. The Mexican Zapateado is derived from a combination of traditional Spanish music sounds with a Mexican and Arabic touch. The musical instruments used on this dance/music are mainly the violin, guitar, drum, etc. El Mariachi on the other hand is a genre of music that originated in Guadalajara, in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico.
For more information contact us.
Tango - Performance
5pm - 5.20pm @ the Bar
Argentina
Tango is both a musical genre and a social dance that originated in the working class neighborhoods and ports of the Rio Plate area of Argentina and Uruguay over one hundred years ago. Despite its working class origins, tango made its way into the dance halls of Paris at the beginning of the 20th century and soon spread all over the world. Perhaps as a result of this, the dance was adopted by the middle and upper classes in Argentina. However, while In Europe the dance evolved into a ballroom style, back in Buenos Aires, though the dance changed and became more standardized, it stayed true to the original movements and style that had come out of the brothels and drinking parlors. The "golden age" of tango came in the 1930's and 40's but after this the dance and its culture fell into decline. It wasn't until the 1983 hit Broadway show "Tango Argentino" that Tango was brought yet again to an international audience and the dance has been increasing in popularity all over the world ever since.
The performer:
Edward Tattersfield's tango education began in Buenos Aires in 2005 when he started to take tango classes with Magali Diaz. Since then he has participated in a wide variety of classes and has performed and taught Argentinean tango in Argentina, Brazil, Spain and in the UK.In 2009 he participated in the II Master for Tango Dancers at the Argentinean School of Tango in Buenos Aires. Though it is a mesmerizing art form to watch on stage, tango is essentially an improvised social dance. Edward will be improvising a variety of tangos from the 1940's to present and will be showcasing its three main styles of, "Tango", "Waltz" and "Milonga".
For more information visit Edward Tattersfield's website or contact us.