Aveen, Lalita, Matthew, Rowan, Silvia

Friendship, Friction, Fracture

The performance focuses on the cultural affects of Spanish colonization in Latin America in the1500's. 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

Mithkal Alzghair

• The Kʼicheʼ had carved out a powerful kingdom. 

• The Kaqchikel rebelled against their former Kʼicheʼ allies and founded a new kingdom.

• Pedro de Alvarado arrived in Guatemala in 1524.

• The Kaqchikel allied with the Spanish, but excessive demands created tension, and they surrendered to the Spanish in 1530.

Conquistadors viewed the Maya as "infidels" who needed to be forcefully converted, disregarding the achievements of their civilization. Maya kingdoms resisted integration into the Spanish Empire and their defeat took almost two centuries.

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

• Indirect pathway
• walk lightly
• stomping
• artifact

Silv

• small to large and free
• strange, heavy rythmic walking

Silv

• shove and push
• hierarchy and chaos
• indirect falling
• greed and conquest

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. When it is stolen by the Spanish, the natives become unorganized. Originally simply a plum bob (affectionately named 'bob').

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