La Peña Cultural Center

Welcome to La Peña! Promoting social justice & intercultural understanding through the arts since 1975.

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“Poética de lo Cotidiano”: Photography Masterclass in Spanish

Estamos muy emocionados de presentar en La Peña este workshop intensivo sobre fotografía que ahondará no solo en la cualidad artística y expresiva del medio fotográfico, sino también en su cualidad política: su potencial de analizar, crear y transformar la realidad. ¡¡Fotógrafes profesionales, estudiantes, y aficionades son todes bienvenides!!

Esta es una oportunidad única para aprender directamente de la mano de Héctor González de Cunco, extraordinario fotógrafo y educador chileno con más de sesenta años de trayectoria internacional.

Temas y habilidades a desarrollar en el taller:

  1. Explorar la fotografía como herramienta para construir memoria, identidad y pensamiento crítico.
  2. Recordar que la materia prima de la fotografía son las ideas.
  3. Analizar los procesos creativos para optimizar el uso de sus cámaras y celulares.
  4. Desmenuzar la “arquitectura de la imagen”: encuadre, composición, jerarquía de elementos, figura y fondo, etc.
  5. Entregar elementos para cultivar nuestra mirada y potenciar la cultura visual (y fotográfica) comenzando por una revisión crítica del trabajo de algunos fotógrafos icónicos.
  6. Revisar el trabajo de fotógrafos chilenos históricos y actuales.

Más información e inscripciones en bit.ly/lpfoto

Youth Mariachi and Latin American Folk Music Class —New addition to La Peña’s calendar!

NEW CLASS AT LA PEÑA! Join this Youth Mariachi and Latin American Folk Music Class and learn how to play & sing Latin American Music while having fun!

Youth of ages 7-17 of all cultural backgrounds are welcome to participate in this class. You don’t need to know how to play and you don’t have to speak Spanish. You just need to have a love for music and the desire to learn to play and sing Mexican & Latin American traditional music.

  • Mondays | 5:30-6:30pm
  • October-December, 2022
  • $200 per student (partial scholarships available)

For more information and how to register to this class, contact Ricardo Huerta: gricardog@gmail.com. Phone: (510) 409 96 46.

Salsa, Bachata & Merengue Dance Class —October Series!

Our popular beginners Salsa, Bachata & Merengue dance class series returns to La Peña in October!

Tuesdays 4-25 from 6:15 to 7:15 pm. This is a 4-week series.

Join us and explore the possibilities of your body and how to communicate with others through dance, rhythm and flavor! Partners are not necessary! This is a 4-week series designed for beginner students to learn and enjoy three popular Latin dance styles: Salsa, Bachata and Merengue!

Classes are taught by Venezuelan dance instructor Juliana Mendonca (she/her). Juliana’s teaching style is not a traditional ballroom style latin dance class. She first teaches her students to connect to their body and to connect to the rhythms before getting to the steps and turns. This foundation will help you loosen up your hips, knees, shoulders and arms to allow each student to get their own authentic feel for each genre and its unique rhythm.

This class is taught as “leaders” and “followers” and is inclusive to folks of all genders, non-binary & LGBTQ+. Please see our entire Community Agreements below.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR Juliana Mendonca (she/her) is a dance performer, choreographer and teacher. She graduated with a degree in dance from University Institute of Caracas, Venezuela in 2005, she also served as an instructor at the Performing Arts Department of the University of the Andes in Mérida, Venezuela (2012-2015). Juliana co-founded Raíz de Agua, a music and dance company. Juliana currently lives in Oakland, California with her husband and daughter, working as a dancer, choreographer and teacher.

ENROLLMENT DETAILS

SERIES SCHEDULE (4 weeks) 9/6/22-9/27/22

  • Tuesday, October 4, 2022, 6:15pm-7:15pm
  • Tuesday, October 11, 2022, 6:15pm-7:15pm
  • Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 6:15pm-7:15pm
  • Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 6:15pm-7:15pm

Series Tuition Cost: $94 for entire series .

BONUS PERK! Students get a FREE ticket to an upcoming BAILA! Community Dance Party (Oct. 21 or Nov. 18). (Promo code will be emailed after first day of class.)

Please note: Drop-ins to this series are NOT available.

COVID-19 POLICY: For classes at La Peña, it is up to each teacher to determine their safety requirements as long as they stay within the restrictions of the most updated City of Berkeley COVID-19 guideline. This specific class series will not require vaccinations and masks will be optional. However, if City of Berkeley health policies change at any given moment, we will be adhering to those requirements. If the class cannot be held in person due to new mandates, the class will be held online. In addition, we ask that you contact us if you exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. We also offer the following accommodations:

  • If a student misses a class due to COVID-19 or another illness, they may request an additional BAILA! ticket.
  • If a student misses 2 classes, they may request 25% off to register for the next series and an additional BAILA! ticket.
  • If a student misses more than 2 classes, please contact us so we can find a solution on a case-by-case basis: Classes@lapena.org

Please visit our website for the latest COVID-19 Policy updates at La Peña. Thank you for your understanding!