The performance focuses on the cultural affects of Spanish colonization in Latin America. It is set in the 1500's when the Spanish first arrive in modern day Guatamala, Hondorus, and El Salvador. The dance then continues through 1530, when Spain was able to expand New Spain into the territory.

Ultimately, the viewer should walk away with some understanding of the effects of colonization , and with a curiosity to learn more about specific colonization events in Latin America.

Lali

CORPUS

Kukuli Velarde

The Spanish conquest of Guatemala was a conflict during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, in which Spanish colonisers gradually incorporated the territory that became the modern country of Guatemala into New Spain.

Many conquistadors viewed the Maya as "infidels" who needed to be forcefully converted and pacified, disregarding the achievements of their civilization.

The Spanish conquest of the Maya was a prolonged affair; the Maya kingdoms resisted integration into the Spanish Empire with such tenacity that their defeat took almost two centuries.

• The Kʼicheʼ had carved out a small empire covering a large part of the western Guatemalan Highlands and the neighbouring Pacific coastal plain. 

• The Kaqchikel rebelled against their former Kʼicheʼ allies and founded a new kingdom to the southeast, steadily eroding the kingdom of the Kʼicheʼ.

• Pedro de Alvarado arrived in Guatemala from the newly conquered Mexico in 1524.

• The Kaqchikel Maya allied with the Spanish, but excessive demands created tension, forcing them to surrender to the Spanish in 1530.

Initial Experimentation

• A community working, playing together.
• Gradually moving from open, unconfined space to tighter, physically limiting space.
• Shifting focus from a human oppressor to an abstract one.

Zeroing in on Topic

• Focus condensed to Spaniards and Guatemala. Inspired by the K'iche welcome dance, Danza de la Conquista

Scene Arrangement

• Arrival of the Spaniards, Resistance of the kingdoms, Death of the king
• Extrapolating dance movements from precedents
• Workshopping, improvising, rehearsing, changing the dance into a fleshed out product

Final Dance

In the first scene the natives enter followed shortly after by the Spaniards. The natives walk lightly, gliding across the floor, while the Spaniards stomp towards them. The Spaniards then move in an indirect pathway, inspecting the natives, virtually prospecting their culture and artifacts. The artifact in question, sways, moving lightly and sustained throughout the whole scene.

Silv

In the second scene, the Spaniards plot their next move, making small controlled gestures at first and then gradually letting their movements become larger and energetically more free as they become more confident in their plan. Suddenly, the Spaniards then take the artifact and start marching around the tower, with the natives struggling to keep up with the strange, heavy rhythmic way of walking.

Silv

In the last scene, the Spaniards shove away the natives and then push the king. The whole scene is very controlled on the part of the Spaniards and has a feeling of hierarchy and chaos. One of the Spaniards then shoots each native being very bound and mostly controlled, and the king spins them around inbetween shooting. the king then slowly falls to the ground indirectly stumbling around. The show ends with the feeling of greed and conquest from the Spaniards.

Silv

Stable

Unstable

Delicate

The artifact, represents the beating heart of the Natives. It is the object that leads the natives together in their dance. It holds together their delicate relationship. When it is stolen by the Spanish, the natives become unorganized, leaving room for the Spanish to interrupt them. Originally simply a plum bob (affectionately named 'bob') It was encased with a gold painted cardboard shell, to give it some visual significance.

Spacial Improvisation

Lali

La Verdolaga

Toto la Momposina

It's pretty and it's pretty, oh the greens (in the ground)

Nice how it is watered, ay the greens (in the ground)

I sowed it (in the ground)

Caravan

Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington

Chaos, disharmony, all at once

Rosary Chant

Saint Dominic

To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.

MP