Sembrando Herencia is our annual full-length performance that passes on our heritage to a new generation! On December 7th, 2008, Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance proudly debuted "The Journey Back," our newest bilingual musical, a mystical, action-adventure-comedy about a young woman who travels back to Puerto Rico to recover her lost Taino heritage. This original story by PRFDance Director Ana Maria Tekina-eiru' Maynard was based in personal experience and Puerto Rican history, and was in collaboration with her teacher and mentor Rupert Reyes, Director of Teatro Vivo.
Mari-a' was an ordinary waitress in Spanish Harlem until her life became filled with mystical dreams and adventure. Who is this Taina woman who appears in her dreams offering a maraca? Where did her long-lost cousin Bakeiro (Warrior) really come from, and what is he hiding? Only travelling back to Puerto Rico would solve the hidden mystery that will give birth to a new generation!
Everyone had a part in this year's lively performance showcasing 30 of our own, beginner children through professional adults performing traditional Puerto Rican live music and dance - Bomba, Plena, Seis and Taino -- featuring 3 cuatros, 7 bomba drums, panderos de Plena, guitars, Taino mayohuacanes, pots and pans, and an amazing variety of percussion! We were especially proud to share several music and dance numbers with our new Junior Company. Many of these dancers, singers, and percussionists have been with us since they were 4 years old! We were honored to welcome special guests Cherokee David Hoskins & Family, now of Oklahoma (Indian Country), and Robert Bass of Eagle Point Drum to our musical that celebrated traditions and cultural pride!
In the weeks leading to the show, we enjoyed a Cover Photo Shoot with our main characters, as well as a very special rehearsal where our Performing Company shared their talents with our Youth Performing Arts Students to prepare them for this joyful celebration of traditional dance, live music and song.
Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance is very proud of our mission to teach our cultural traditions to the next generation. This year's expanded two-hour musical gave our youth students a unique opportunity to perform in a complex musical production. It was a joy to watch them rise to the occasion to learn the complex material in traditional dance, choir, percussion, and acting!
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