On November 10, 2005, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture came to Austin to announce that it has named the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance and Cultural Center (PRFDance & CC) the 5th Affiliated Cultural Center on the Mainland US! This designation, announced in Puerto Rico in October 2005, makes us one of only four currently-active affiliated cultural centers on the mainland, and brings Austin on par with Chicago and Florida where the other active cultural centers are located. As part of their "Casas de Cultura" program, affiliated Cultural Centers are recognized as the legitimate representatives of the Intitute of Puerto Rican Culture in their respective towns in Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican communities outside the Island. They are the preferred and natural vehicle of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture to channel cultural initiatives to the community.
The formal Austin announcement took place at
Austin City Hall with the help of Austin City
Councilman Raul Alvarez and Josilda Acosta from the Instituto de Cultura,
who flew in from Puerto Rico for this special event. The press
conference featured a live music and dance performance by members of
PRFDance's professional-level performing company and cultural center
students.
Founded in 1997, the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance and Cultural Center brings a focal point to Austin as one of the few cultural centers in the country, and the only in all of Texas and our four surrounding states, offering ongoing performance and educational programs in the full cross-section of traditional dance, music and culture for children through adults, as well as a professional-level performing company under one roof. Their achievement and quality has been validated by repeat support by the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.
Contacto: Alexis Vazquez, Oficial de prensa
Oficina de Informacion Prensa
787-724-8488/787-724-6246
avazquez@icp.gobierno.pr
ICP afilia Centro Cultural de Austin, Texas
El Dr. Jose Luis Vega, Director Ejecutivo del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena saluda a la Dra. Ana Maria Grizzaffi Velez de Maynard, fundadora del Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance and Cultural Center (PRFDCC), organizacion cultural puertorriqueuena ubicada en Austin, Texas. El PRFDCC se convierte en el quinto centro cultural boricua en los Estados Unidos afiliado al Programa de Promocion Cultural del ICP.
En 1995 el ICP crea el proyecto Casas de la Cultura en los Estados
Unidos. A partir del 1996 el proyecto toma auge y se afilian dos centros
ya existentes: Orlando en la Florida y Segundo Ruiz Belvis de Chicago.
Ademas organizan otros dos nuevos centros: uno en Nueva York y otro
en Miami.
El PRFDCC ofrece a los puertorriquenos residentes en Austin clases de bailes folklorico e instrumentos tipicos. Actualmente ofrece talleres sobre la poesia de Luis Pales Matos y de cocina tradicional puertorriquena.