The Lisa Smith Wengler Center For The Arts Presents Pacif Co Dance Company

Renowned multi-cultural dance troupe Pacif co Dance Company presents its unique blend of traditional and contemporary Mexican dance and folklore in an entertaining and educational family performance at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts.

Tickets, priced starting at $20 for adults and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu. More information about Pacif co Dance Company is available atpacificodanceco.org.

Pacif co will be presenting a new program entitled Al Paso de la Mujer, which explores Mexico's past through the eyes of La Mujer Mexicana (The Mexican woman). This very special performance is dedicated to the women of Mexico for their beauty, strength, and compelling courage that helped shape the Mexico we know today.

Please be advised: The piece Mujeres de mi Tierra takes inspiration from the female warriors of the Mexican Revolution and uses theatrical elements including prop weaponry and gunfire sound effects.

PROGRAM

Madre de Dolores, 2004 (excerpt)

Sones Antiguos de Michoacan, restaged 2001 live accompaniment by Mariachi los Toros

Guerrero, Premiere 2019

Jaranas y Danzon, 2018

Zafra en Tamaulipas, Premiere 2019 live accompaniment by Mariachi los Toros

Intermission

Mujeres de mi Tierra, 2018

Viva Jalisco!, 2003

Since its founding in 1992 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and reconstruction of classical and contemporary Mexican dance forms, the Los Angeles-based Pacif co Dance Company has been bringing its vital blend of Mexican history, professional standards, and sense of pride to both national and international audiences. Under the guidance of Founder, Artistic Director, and Choreographer Adriana Astorga-Gainey, the company has continued to thrill audiences with its unique blend of modern and traditional dance, and has evolved and created its own unique style, costume designs, music, and choreography.

With some 40 dancers and musicians, Pacif co highlights the colorful history, rich traditions, and a diverse population of Mexico by seamlessly weaving together elements of modern dance, ballet, and native dances of Mexico. The group also incorporates Mexican folklore, religion, and current themes to further the appreciation and understanding of present-day Mexico.

The company is passionately committed to encouraging cultural pride within the Mexican-American community, as well as developing an understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of ethnic diversity within the greater Los Angeles region.

Pacif co has held several sold-out performances at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre and has performed at many major venues in California, including the Carpenter Center in Long Beach, the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, the Redlands Bowl, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, The Getty Center, and the Universal Amphitheatre.For six consecutive years the company performed at the prestigious Dance Kaleidoscope Summer Dance Festival in Los Angeles. The group has collaborated with several well-known musicians, including Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, Pablo Montero, Conjunto Jardin, and Pepe Aguilar for live performances.

The company has also performed at many venues throughout the Southwestern United States, including Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Pacif co was also honored to perform in residence at the world-famous Kennedy Center in 2007. In 2001, Pacif co, along with Mariachi Sol de Mexico, made a historic visit to North Korea and the People's Republic of China as part of a cultural arts exchange. Pacif co has twice been recognized as part of the Irvine DanceMaker awards.

Throughout its 20-year history, Pacif co has put much emphasis on collaborations with educational organizations to produce performances for K 12 students. This initiative intends to build audiences by engaging students in the arts. For two years, the company was in residence at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where it taught Mexican Folk Dancing and rehearsed.

The company has been prominently featured in a number of publications and TV spots, both locally and nationally, including the L.A. Times, the Oregon Mail Tribune, the Delaware News Journal, Hispanic Magazine, and the Spanish-language daily La Opini n. Pac fico has been profiled by KCET-TV's award-winning program Life & Times and the nationally syndicated show American Latino TV, broadcast to over 50 million homes in the US.

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