Summary:
- Los Angeles- based folkloric ballet highlight culture and tradition of Mexican regions including Michoacan, Guerrero, Sinaloa and Jalisco
- Three opportunities to see them for FREE:
Friday, January 19, 7 pm, Isla Vista School, 6875 El Colegio Road, Isla Vista
Saturday, January 20, 7 pm, Guadalupe City Hall, 918 Obispo Street, Guadalupe
Sunday, January 21, 7 pm, The Marjorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara Jr. High, 721 E. Cota Street, Santa Barbara
- Post-concert receptions with the artists
- Follow VivaelArteSB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information and updates on events
Courtesy photos.
SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! presents Los Angeles-based Grandeza Mexicana in a festive mosaic of Mexico’s regional cultures and dance traditions. The group’s signature meticulous footwork and beautifully-designed costumes reflect the careful research underlying all its performance. Come see why Grandeza has become one of SoCal’s most popular folkloric performance groups in free, family performances at Isla Vista School, Friday, January 19, 7 pm; at Guadalupe City Hall, Saturday, January 20, 7 pm; and at the Marjorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara Jr. High, Sunday, January 21, 7 pm.
Grandeza Mexicana is committed to perpetuating and showcasing the splendor of Mexcian folk dance, and to the cultivation and promotion of public awareness of the rich diverse cultural heritage it represents. Whether choreographic works depict celebrations, ceremonies, or daily rituals, each offers a colorful slice of the flavor of Mexico. Backed by careful research, Grandeza’s choreography pays tribute to the traditions and customs of Mexico’s historic past and while honoring the promise of the future. Santa Barbara County performances will feature dances from Michoacan, the Costa Chica of Guerrero State, Zacatecas, Sinaloa, Sonora and Jalisco.
Founder and Artistic Director Jose Vences is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and director with decades of experience in Mexican folk dance. He began his dance training at sixteen while studying at the Universidad Autonoma de Morelos. In 1985 he relocated to Mexico City to begin training at the distinguished Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. The next year he was accepted into the touring company of the world-renowned Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez. In 1990 Jose came to Los Angeles where he founded Ballet Folklorico del Pacifico and in 2003 he established Grandeza Mexicana. The company regularly performs at the Ford Theatre in Los Angeles and trains young students at its Dance Academy.
¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! is sponsored by SAGE Publications, The Roddick Foundation, Monica and Tim Babich, Anonymous, Montecito Bank & Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, UCSB Office of Education Partnerships, The Stone Family Foundation, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission Community Arts Grant Program, with funds provided by the City of Santa Barbara, in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture. Additional support comes from The Marjorie Luke Theatre’s Dreier Family Rent Subsidy Fund. The program is supported in part by the Santa Barbara Independent, the Santa Maria SUN, El Latino CC, Radio Bronco, Entravision/Univision Costa Central, the Hilton Garden Inn Santa Barbara/Goleta, The Kimpton Goodland Hotel, Pacifica Suites and the Best Western South Coast Inn. Viva is co-presented by The Marjorie Luke Theatre, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center and UCSB Arts and Lectures, in partnership with the Isla Vista School After School Grant.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/VivaelArteSB for the latest information.