Educational Series About Latin America

AT AVENUE D COMMUNITY CENTER, ROCHESTER NY

Volume 1, Issue 1 by Evelyn Cassano
February 2014

Africa en America Latina 2013-2014 Winter Project

Africa En America Latina winter semester: Fundamentals of Dance and Performance: students learn the story behind the dance, the fundamentals of Latin America music and the Africa Diaspora and theatrical makeup. They also learn the value of team work, the importance of discipline and effort. Students also expand their critical and creative thinking skills as their dance skills develop. Curricular theme: Students learn about their heritage and how dance and music create meaning, building community and moving audience as they work toward a common performance goal. The program introduces students, volunteers and the entire community to new culture, engages them and encourages curiosity about the world and their place in it. Final Performance, every quarter the program team create original pieces of choreography inspired by the curricular theme. Students master and perform these dances in a fully-realized theatrical production. Over the course of the program, students become dancers, taking to the stage as stars in their own community and present the final work in different community events.
Winter Program Dances Description: Maculel (Brazil) There were two tribes in Brazil. One day, during an attack, a young boy named "Maculel" picked up a pair of sticks and fought off the other tribe. The other tribe never attacked again. His home tribe then made a mock combat dance using sticks and named the dance "Maculel" in his honor and memory. Mapal (Colombia) The dance was introduced in Colombia by African slaves brought in ships by the Spanish; the slaves came mainly from Angola. The music is a fast rhythm of cumbia music and the movements are based on the Mapal fish movements when it was out of the water.

Picture from Black History Month at Gantt Community Center

We would like to thank all of our dancers and volunteers and look forward to growing, bringing the program to more community organizations, recreation centers and suburban communities through weekly classes and more public performances. Our programs are offered to all children and families, transcending barriers of language, culture, physical and cognitive challenges. Children learn to work together and develop personal standards of excellence, a pride of achievement, and a curiosity about the Latin American world.

Zaracund (Panam) The Panamanian dance depicted the story of Mama Grande ( Big Mama ) fleeing from their masters who they feel mistreated by them. While escaping she carries her children.

Community Participation

Special points of interest:

The majority of participants in the Avenue D program Latin American educational series come from lowincome families. Avenue D dancers represent a diverse population: approximately 40% identify as Hispanic or Latino; 50% as African American; and 10% as Caucasian. Quarterly the program impacts over 7,000 people including public school students, their parents, teachers and local communities through classes, assemblies, residencies and performances. This program is a partnership between Avenue D Community Center, Grupo Cultural Latinos En Rochester and IADC Project HOPE. Accomplishment: Creation of the Avenue D Afro-Latinos Dance group; 10 new dancers were recruited and trained; 12 volunteers were recruited for program support; Artistic Makeup class for volunteers.

2013 Kwanzaa family day at Memorial Art Gallery 2014 Black History Month Celebration at ABC Early Head Start Black

2014 Black History Month family day at Memorial Art Gallery

2013 Kwanzaa Celebration at Rochester Museum & Science Center

2014 Black History Month at Gantt Community Center

2014 Valentines Day Celebration with Seniors Ave A Community 2014 Black History Celebration Avenue D Community Center

2014 Supporting UPAC Praise Dance Group! At RAPA Theater

Avenue D Community Center

EDUCATIONAL SERIES ABOUT LATIN AMERICA PROGRAM 2013-2014 Program coordinators:
Cynthia Rochet 200 Avenue D, Rochester NY 14621 Phone: 585.428.7934 E-mail: Rochetc@CityofRochester.gov Evelyn Cassano Grupo Cultural Latinos En Rochester Phone: 585.329.9671 E-mail: info@gcler.org Sacha Ros Ibero-American Development Corp Project HOPE coordinator Phone: 585.467.6410 ext.30 E-mail: srios@iberodevelopment.org
Cynthia Rochet with Avenue D dancers

Awesome media coverage:

Winter program partners:

Volunteers behind the scenes

Volunteers help Avenue D maintain its programs by lending a variety of skills and services. Our volunteer community is amazing! A big round of applause to everyone who worked behind the scenes and helped this performance season, with a variety of items like sewing, painting, shopping, dancing. We are tremendously thankful and incredibly fortunate to have your support! Some of the training session for volunteer is the makeup class for dance and stage performance (last Thursday of the month). Course Description: Study of materials, and practice in techniques of creating effect through makeup. This class is open to the public and specially for the volunteer that will help with the makeup prior the dance. presentation.

Volunteers at Black History family day Memorial Art Gallery 2014

Volunteers are needed year-round to provide: performance assistance, administrative support, special event assistance, mentoring for children, arts and craft classes.