Author: Sophie Myrtil-McCourty

‘The stories clearly reveal a people’s ability to rise up and vanquish personal and physical challenges when “you and I become us.”There are many moments of brilliance from the supple undulating musicality of Jannet Galdamez, who lit up and covered the stage with her unique spirit and compelling movements. Diana Toledo’s guttural emotional song, Stanley…

‘CONTRA-TIEMPO, says Alvarez, “exists in the in-between space of leader/follower, immigrant/American, English/Spanish, performer/listener.” Many of the company’s professional dancers and performers, who are trained in a variety of dance styles, are immigrants or first generation North Americans, living within the varied and infinitely complex political and personal landscapes that CONTRA-TIEMPO addresses in its work.’ Read…

‘Hardship doesn’t preclude joy. In fact, a wellspring of joy is a powerful weapon of resistance in the face of injustice. The urban Latin dancers of CONTRA-TIEMPO and the musicians of Las Cafeteras—all grounded in the communities of color in South Los Angeles—celebrate this fact in an evening-length work based in social dance and live…

‘CONTRA-TIEMPO, a Los Angeles-based urban Latin dance troupe, and the musicians of Las Cafeteras will present joyUS justUS, a work that celebrates the power of joy in battling inequalities of all sorts. The piece has earned rave reviews: “A joyous performance…comically explores the diversity of Salsa dancing, while also using the dance form to portray the…

“This is the first time that many of them are actually going to be on stage,” Williams said. “It’s the first time that they have this kind of rehearsal process of learning a work, and really diving deep into the narratives of social justice or what the art work can represent on stage.” Read the…