DIA DE LOS MUERTOS by Calpulli Mexican Dance Company Brings the Day of the Dead to New York

Following its acclaimed performances at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company returns to Queens Theatre audiences with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a production with live music, classical and folkloric dances and a universal narrative of love and hope. Under Artistic Director, Alberto Lopez Herrera, Choreographer-in-Residence, Roberto Lara, and Music Director, George Saenz, the company is recreating the production with a new story, the premiere of choreographic works, and the premiere of folk-inspired songs and classical music interpreted with folk instrumentation.

The company of 20 dancers, guest performers, and core of musicians will take audiences on a voyage from a festive town in Mexico to Mictlan, the beautiful underworld of Aztec mythology, where La Catrina is the mesmerizing Queen.

Dancer: Abril Reynaga
Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes

Saturday, October 29th, 2016, 8PM Sunday, October 30th, 2016, 3PM
Queens Theatre, Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, 4 United Nations Ave, S. Corona, NY 11368 Tickets and Information: www.queenstheatre.org
Event link: http://queenstheatre.org/content/calpulli-mexican-dance-company
Box Office: 718-760-0064
All tickets: $25, Discounts available to groups and multi-season

"Telling a story that connects with audiences using only dance and music is an amazing challenge. Our language is universal, and I think audiences will love our story and how we bring Dia de los Muertos into a new light," says Artistic Director Alberto Lopez Herrera adding, "our story is told through Mexican folk and classical dance and music. It will be a truly unique experience for all ages."

Choreographer-in-Residence Mr. Lara brings a rich experience in classical dance and related story telling. Mr. Lara is most notably a former dancer with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Ballet Hispanico, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Dia de los Muertos has been continually developed since 2012 at venues including the Schimmel Center for the Arts, Aaron Davis Hall, and Penn State Erie. The company will premiere the production at Queens Theatre and then tour to SUNY Geneseo later in the year for its first showing outside of New York City. Queens Theatre announced a residency with Calpulli Mexican Dance Company earlier this year featuring two back-to-back seasons beginning with Dia de los Muertos. Managing Director and

Co-Founder Juan Castaño says of the collaboration, "We've partnered with many fantastic venues but none more than with Queens Theatre, so it seems fitting that the first residency for our company is at this amazing venue. This will be our 10th and 11th seasons here!" Mr. Castaño added that unlike previous seasons, where selections from the company's repertoire were presented, Calpulli is now featuring entire, themed productions developed through the years with a narrative that aims to connect with audiences of all backgrounds. Castaño adds, "Calpulli brings together what our Mexican community loves about our traditions while capturing the universal connections to all audiences."

The next season for the company at Queens Theatre will be in March 2017 where it will present Boda Mexicana (Mexican Wedding). Sponsors Major support was received from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the McGraw Foundation, and Hispanic Federation. Media sponsors and community partners include El Diario de México, the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, and Spaceworks. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Calpulli Mexican Dance Company is a proud participant of the Annual Latin American Cultural Week produced by PAMAR. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Calpulli Mexican Dance Company celebrates the rich diversity of Mexican and Mexican-American cultural heritage through dance and live music. Founded in 2003, the company tours from coast-to-coast in the USA and made its international debut in 2013 in the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Middle East. At its performance at Lincoln Center Out of Doors in August 2015, Calpulli was hailed a "terrific company" by Dance Critic Brian Siebert of The New York Times. Calpulli also performed at Jacob's Pillow on July 7th, 2016 as part of the Inside/ Out series

Queens Theatre is the premier performing arts venue in Queens. Queens Theatre's mission is to provide quality and diverse performing arts activities that are economically and geographically accessible to the 2.2 million residents of Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the nation, and the surrounding metropolitan region. To foster greater cultural awareness and appreciation, the Theatre presents and produces programs that reflect this diversity and features international, national and local artists. Thus, Queens Theatre introduces every year a new season featuring theatre, dance, comedy and family shows, concerts and screenings. Queens Theatre has been also been playing an important educational role in the borough and has reached 2,400 students this past season through free student matinees, after-school playmaking programs and the new Queens Theatre English Language Learners program.