Latina Choreographer Uplifts Stories from U.S.-Mexico Borderlands | If Cities Could Dance

Описание: In Tucson, Arizona, dancer and choreographer Yvonne Montoya mixes #contemporarydance with oral histories from the American Southwest borderlands, showcasing the diversity of voices, experiences, and body movements of Latinx, Mexican American, Chicanx, Mexican and other immigrant communities. Her dance “Braceros” was inspired by father who as a child worked alongside migrant farmworkers.

🔊 Audio description is available for this video. Go to Settings - Audio Track - English Descriptive.

🔔 Hit that SUBSCRIBE button! 🔔
https://bit.ly/SubscribeKQEDArts

Our history. Our culture. Our moves.
KQED Arts’ award-winning video series #IfCitiesCouldDance​ features dancers from across the country representing their city’s signature moves, with new episodes, dance tutorials, and shorts dropping every other Wednesday.
******
Montoya started Safos Dance Theatre after dancing with various contemporary companies she felt didn’t reflect her Chicana Latina identity and choreographic ambitions. The community of dancers she’s cultivated often perform in non-traditional spaces—alongside the U.S.-Mexico border wall or in the Sonoran Desert. In “Stories from Home,” a deeply personal series performed by a cast of all Latinx dancers, Montoya draws from her family’s experiences and stories handed down through generations. The dance “Braceros” was inspired by her late father, Juan “Johnny” Montoya Sena, who as a child worked alongside Mexican migrant farmworkers in the fields picking cantaloupe and watermelon near Yuma, Arizona.

The Bracero Program, a labor agreement struck in 1942 between the United States and Mexico to provide Mexican workers to pick U.S. crops during World War II, continued until 1964. The program provided Mexican laborers or “braceros” with short-term labor contracts and U.S. visas. The labor they provided was vital to the U.S. economy, but the work was often poorly paid, and they worked under harsh conditions. Montoya wanted to capture in her choreography the hardships and dehumanizing nature of farmwork, by making bodies look like pistons and cogs in a machine exerting labor and force.

Watch as the Safos Dance Theater company brings their unique history and experiences to life at Gate's Pass in Tucson Mountain Park, Barrio Viejo and other iconic locations in Tucson.

0:00 - Intro
0:43 - Life in Tucson
01:04 - Yvonne’s Family Story
01:36 - Starting Safos Dance Theatre
2:02 - “Stories from Home” and the Braceros Program
03:05 - Yvonne’s Dance “Braceros”
4:33 - Binational Dance Exchange
4:53 - Safos Dance Theatre’s Impact
5:44 - Yvonne’s Mission

📖 Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/Cities_TucsonWeb

👍🏽 Join us on Instagram:   / ​  
👍🏽 Like us on Facebook:   / kqedarts​  
👍🏽 Follow us on Twitter:   / kqedarts​  

Featured Dancers:
Yvonne Montoya, Steve Rosales, Salvador Martinez Baldenegro, Ruby Morales

🖼️ Featured Murals and Public Art:
Karlito Miller Espinosa, Isaac Caruso, Wagon Burner Arts, Martin Moreno, Ignacio Garcia

Accessibility provided by the Described and Captioned Media Program (www.dcmp.org), funded by the US Department of Education (www.ed.gov).
Captioning: Rick Goldman
Captioning QC: Rebecca Phelps
Audio Description Scriptwriter: Valerie Hunter
Audio Description Voice Over Artist: Debbie Grattan
Audio Description Editor: Heather Warren
Accessibility Engineering: Kyle Sisk

📌 Editor’s note: This episode was filmed under strict guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic. Safety parameters were followed to protect the health of the dancers and video production team.

#latindance