With a grant funded by the Arlene and Michael Rosen Foundation, SPACE held a one week camp, Plan Vacacional/Spanish Language Performing Arts Camp, that culminated in a show on the afternoon of July 19, filled with vibrant song, dance and fun portraying Mexican heritage and tradition that included dozens of student performers and a handful of adult, veteran actors/teachers. With just five days of practice, one can only imagine what would have happened, had there been longer rehearsal time. The stage was filled with colorful costumes, exuberant dance, and joyful singing Mexican-themed, performed in Spanish.
The theater was filled with appreciative audience members and, although my own Spanish is limited, there was no limitation to my enjoyment. Under the guidance of Ignacio Ayala, deputy director and Latino program director for SPACE; Olivia Zamora, camp director; and Sam Kircher, musical teacher and accompanist, SPACE definitely hit another high note with this festive production highlighting the students at SPACE. Ayala grew up taking classes at SPACE and in high school became involved in the teen intern program working backstage as a teaching assistant.
He was eventually hired as the Latino Program Director and, for three years, has additionally taken on the reins as deputy director. Over the past two years, he has worked closely with the Latino community to produce, direct and collaborate at least two Spanish language events per year. Kircher, a highly talented musician and singer, has been involved with SPACE programming for 20 plus years—since he was a little squirt—presently highly integrated into Latino programming.
For this performance he served as music teacher and director, and performed with them, unassumingly, with a quiet passion. Their latest production, Plan Vacacional, has been happening in various iterations within the community for 30 plus years; and that’s what originally brought Zamora here from Mexico some years ago—to direct and organize this style of camp. This year, having the luxury of it being grant funded, they were able to bring in guest artists/teachers from Mexico to work with the children.
With their long standing collaboration, Zamora utilized her cultural connections and invited Yojana Jautzin Pupuri Melchor Campos, from Mexico City, to be the acting teacher, and Margarita and Rodrigo Rodriguez, from Guadalajara, to teach dance and art, respectively. And they also lit up the stage with their performances, she in the lead as a wise butterfly and the couple with their wild and wonderful Baile folklórico. Zamora wrote the script and created all the scenes, that included Limbo, La Mariposa Viajera, La Posada, El Dia de Reyes, Danza de los Listones, Leyendas de la Llorona, Cancion de la Bruja, Fiesta de Independencia, and more.
“We applied all the skills that we had from the teachers and put them on the stage,” says Zamora. “At first, we thought of it as dream, because it was a dream for us. We needed to keep things relatively simple because of the limited amount time we had.
And we adapt along the way, depending on the students who are participating.” Maestra Zamora gathered her ideas from having worked as the Secretary of Culture in Mexico City where she had the opportunity to work with many types of art and artists. “We wanted to send a message,” she continues, “not only about our Spanish language, but also about what it means for us to live here in the U.
S.A. We always have that thing in our heart—everybody who is living outside their country misses something.
We wanted to show the things we are most connected to, perhaps different for each of us, and that’s why we told it in so many ways. “Olivia combines so many so many different disciplines with her intergenerational teaching—music, dancing, art, crafts,” says Laurel Near, SPACE director. “It is so important for us to be invited to participate in this and we appreciate how Laurel and SPACE understand and accept us as a Hispanic community.
We are for sure different—in many ways—and sometimes even the behavior of our kids is different. It’s very important, what everyone here at SPACE is doing, and we very much appreciate it,” says Zamora..
