La Peña Cultural Center

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Salsa, Bachata & Merengue Dance Class Series!

Our popular beginners Salsa, Bachata & Merengue dance class series returns to La Peña Tuesdays in May, 2023!

SERIES DESCRIPTION

Beginners Class Series (4 Weeks) Tuesdays 6:15pm-7:15pm. May 9 – 30, 2023. This is a 4-week series designed for beginner students to learn and enjoy three popular Latin dance styles: Salsa, Bachata and Merengue!

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

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.

ENROLLMENT DETAILS

SERIES SCHEDULE (4 weeks) 5/09/23 – 5/30/23

  • Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 6:15pm-7:15pm
  • Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 6:15pm-7:15pm
  • Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 6:15pm-7:15pm
  • Tuesday, May 30, 2023, 6:15pm-7:15pm

Series Tuition Cost: $94 for entire series . (Please note: Drop-ins are NOT available.)

BONUS PERK! Students get a FREE ticket to an upcoming BAILA! Community Dance PartyPromo code & details will be emailed after first day of class.

LA PEÑA COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS

Classes are the most fun when everyone feels safe and included! We invite you to participate in creating a community culture in which we support and hold each other accountable for making La Peña a safe and inclusive space that we can all enjoy. By signing up for this class you consent to the following Community Agreements:

  • Treat everyone with respect
  • Practice thoughtful communication and language
  • Practice consent
  • Honor everyone’s gender identity and preferred pronouns
  • Be self-aware
  • Take care of yourself and each other
  • Practice active listening

COVID-19 POLICY: This specific class series does not require vaccinations and masks are 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 one class due to COVID-19 or another illness, they may request an additional BAILA! ticket.
  • If a student misses 2 or more 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!

QUESTIONS? Contact us at: classes@lapena.org

Capoeira Angola: Classes and Workshops

Capoeira Angola with Grupo de Capoeira Balanço de Angola
Wednesdays, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
In person at La Peña Cultural Center
**FREE Community Class on the last Wednesday of every month!**
(Please scroll down to see class schedule)

Come experience the spirit, music, and movement of Capoeira Angola with Grupo de Capoeira Balanço de Angola! We begin our class with one hour of music followed by one hour of movement class. Our classes are open to all levels, especially those who have never tried capoeira before. Please dress in comfortable pants, a T-shirt you can tuck in, and sneakers . Our group trains under the instruction and leadership of Contramestre Sergio Ferreira and Contramestre Daniel Mattar and receives orientation from Mestre Moraes, founder of the Grupo Capoeira Angola of Pelourinho (GCAP) in Salvador, Brazil.

IMPORTANT:
For questions and pricing, please contact balancodangola@gmail.com or check instagram for announcements @nbda_angola

 

WHAT TO EXPECT:
We begin our class with one hour of music practice. Our instructors and your classmates will help you learn the rhythm, songs, and instruments of capoeira angola, including the 3 types of berimbaus (gunga, medio, and viola), the atabaque drum, the pandeiro, the agogô and the reco-reco. We sing capoeira angola songs in Brazilian Portuguese, so it’s a great way to learn or practice Portuguese! After music class, we do an hour of movement class, where we warm up our bodies then practice capoeira moves and sequences, both individually and two by two. Finally we end class by playing games together. Capoeira games are a great way to be present with your body, creating a spontaneous dialogue with your opponent inside the “roda,” or “ring”.

 

GRUPO DE CAPOEIRA NO BALANÇO D’ANGOLA (NBDA):
NBDA is a capoeira angola group based in Berkeley and West Oakland founded by Contramestre Sergio Ferreira in 2015. Our group receives orientation from Mestre Moraes, founder of the Grupo Capoeira Angola of Pelourinho (GCAP) in Salvador, Brazil. Mestre Moraes is a PhD candidate at the Federal University of Bahia Brazil, a Grammy nominated musician, and a student of Mestre Pastinha, the father of capoeira angola, as well as a student of Mestre João Grande.

Our group name, No Balanço D’Angola translates to “in the Angola rhythm.” We are honored to have been meeting at La Peña since our group’s founding. We believe La Peña’s spirit of resistance and community building provides the perfect atmosphere to practice the tradition of Capoeira Angola in Berkeley. Follow us at @nbda_angola

 

ABOUT CAPOEIRA ANGOLA:
Capoeira angola, a martial art and ritual combat dance, is one of the major expressions of an African, specifically Kongo-Angolan, continuum in Brazil. It is believed that its origins may go as far back as the 16th century, when Africans from western Central Africa were enslaved and taken to Brazil, specifically Salvador and the surrounding Recôncavo region.

In its history and practice, capoeira angola reflects the philosophy and aesthetics of its origins. Similar to many traditional African traditions, there are no clear-cut distinctions between the sacred and secular, work and play, fight and fun. Capoeira angola integrates music, movement, theatrics, play, martial arts, philosophy, and spirituality. In the past, Capoeira angola has been passed down from master (“Mestre”) to student orally.

 

Our group’s Mestre, Mestre Moraes, describes Capoeira Angola’s philosophy as the following: “The capoeira ring, whose geometric form facilitates the propagation of energy, is one of the symbolic representations of the ‘macro’ world. The movements we make inside this ring symbolise the adversities we encounter in life, which we often don’t know how to deal with. In the game of life, our opponents, in most cases, know nothing of capoeira, but have movements peculiar to their own game, which we should be able to interpret and understand in their context, taking the capoeira ring as a point of reference. Playing in the ring, we succeed in establishing a fusion between playful elements and respect for the other person. But the ring isn’t reality: the world is. If we win in this ring, we can take the other one too!”

 

INSTRUCTORS:
Contramestre Sergio Ferreira is from Belo Horizonte, Brazil and received the title of Contramestre in 2021. He began training Capoeira Angola at age 11, first with Mestre Baiano, then with Mestre Dois de Ouro from whom he learned the art of making berimbaus. At age 16, he joined GCAP Belo Horizonte under the leadership of Mestre Leo and Mestre Rene. In 2003, he helped found the group Camujerê together with Mestre Rene, Treinel Jorge, and the late Ezequiel Emilio. Three years after moving to the Bay Area, he founded the No Balanço D’Angola group (NBDA) in 2015.

Contra Mestre Daniel Mattar is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and received the title of Contramestre in 2019. He began seriously practicing Capoeira Angola at age 23, first with Mestre Marrom in Rio. He practiced at FICA in West Oakland from 2002 to 2020, first studying under Mestre Rogerio then serving as lead instructor with Mestre Jurandir’s guidance for more than a decade. Contramestre Daniel joined NBDA in 2020.

Both Contramestre Sergio and Contramestre Daniel work as deckhands, proudly continuing the tradition of capoeiristas with maritime careers.

 

Contact:
balancodangola@gmail.com
instagram.com/nbda_angola

Son Jarocho Zapateado Workshop & Concert with Saltapatrás!

*ENGLISH BELOW*

Ven a celebrar 5 de Mayo en La Peña!! Saltapatrás viene directamente de México a impartir este taller de Zapateado Jarocho, para luego terminar la noche con un Concierto con invitado especial Dan Neville y un Fandango donde todes pueden participar!

TALLER DE ZAPATEADO JAROCHO (6:00pm-7:30pm | $20): Inspirado en la tradición del son, este taller busca compartir la alegría del movimiento corporal (zapateo y danza) en conexión con la música. Siempre atendiendo nuestro contexto actual, el taller se basa en las raíces, técnicas y tradiciones del Son Jarocho (Veracruz, México). Va dirigido a todo público, y se invita también a quienes quieran tocar, cantar, hacer y compartir su música.

  • Taller bilingüe (Español / Inglés)
  • Impartido por Cecilia Pérez Urias (del grupo Saltapatrás), artista multidisciplinaria mexicana con estudios en zapateado jarocho, violonchelo, danzas de Guinea, expresión corporal, composición, jarana, canto y balafón.
  • No se requiere experiencia o implementos especiales, ¡solo zapatos cómodos!

CONCIERTO (8:30pm-9:30pm | $15): Saltapatrás es una agrupación formada en 2012 en Ciudad de México, compuesta por Cecilia Pérez Urias y Diego Pérez. Su música esta conformada por composiciones originales y arreglos que honran la estética de la musica popular y tradicional de México y el mundo. La diversidad de elementos musicales que integran su propuesta deriva de un sonido propio, original y llamativo. Para sus presentaciones, Saltapatrás combina la música con la narrativa y el teatro, generando espectaculos escénico-musicales de diversas temáticas. Para este concierto, tocarán junto a Dan Neville como invitado especial. Habrá un Fandango al final donde todes estan invitades a participar!

  • Cecilia Pérez – jarana y voz
  • Diego Pérez – bajo
  • Dan Neville – marimba

 

ENGLISH:

Come celebrate 5 de Mayo at La Peña!! Saltapatrás is coming directly from Mexico to lead this zapateado Jarocho workshop, to then end the night with a concert with special guest Dan Neville and a fandango where everyone can participate!

ZAPATEADO JAROCHO WORKSHOP (6:00pm-7:30pm | $20): Inspired by the tradition of son, this workshop seeks to share the joy of body movement (zapateo and dance) in connection with music. Always attentive to our current context, the workshop is based on the roots, techniques and traditions of Son Jarocho (Veracruz, Mexico). It is aimed at the general public, and those who want to play, sing, make and share their music are also invited.

  • This workshop is bilingual (English / Spanish)
  • Taught by Cecilia Pérez Urias (from Saltapatrás), a multidisciplinary Mexican artist with studies in zapateado jarocho, cello, Guinean dances, body expression, composition, jarana, singing and balafon.
  • No experience or special implements required, just comfy shoes!

CONCERT (8:30pm-9:30pm | $15): Saltapatrás is a group founded in 2012 in Mexico City, conformed by Cecilia Pérez Urias and Diego Pérez. Their music is made up of original compositions and arrangements that honor the aesthetics of popular and traditional music from Mexico and the world. The diversity of musical elements that make up his proposal derives from their own, original and striking sound. For their presentations, Saltapatrás combines music with narrative and theater, generating scenic-musical shows on various themes. For this concert, they will play together with Dan Neville as their special guest. There will be a Fandango at the end where everyone is invited to participate!

  • Cecilia Pérez – jarana and vocals
  • Diego Perez – bass
  • Dan Neville – marimba

Mapuche Kimün: with Silvia Calfuqueo & Carolina Kürüf

What a powerful gathering to advance Indigenous sovereignty in Wallmapu and beyond! Huge thank you to Silvia Calfuqueo, Carolina Kürüf, and Kelly Baur for sharing your knowledge and experience with us, we left the space with our minds open and our hearts full. Special shout-out to Ana Fox-Hodess for serving as an interpreter, to Café Buenos Aires for providing the delicious empanadas, and to all the community for showing up and asking such great questions! Friday, March 24th, 2023. Photos by La Peña crew.

BAILA! Community. Dance. Party.

We are celebrating one year of BAILA parties at La Peña!! Put March 17th on your calendar, invite all your friends, and get your best dance moves ready!

 

The night will include:

  • 7:30pm: Doors open with Ritmos Tropicales Dance Party in our Lounge!
  • 8:00pm: Gender-inclusive Bachata & Salsa Dance Classes with In Lak’ech Dance Academy in our Theater (no partner or experience necessary!)
  • 9:30pm: Dominican Bachata Party with DJ Ron in our Lounge & Dance Party with DJ Jose Ruizin our Theater!
  • 10:00pm: LIVE Salsa Concert with Cabanijazz Project on our mainstage!
  • Party goes until 1:00am in our Lounge (Dominican Bachata), Theater (Salsa y más) and Community Room (fundraising bar and hang out)!

 

The vibe of this party will be like a spontaneous dance party that broke out in your kitchen, only if your kitchen had big wood floors, a great live band and sound system, and 200 of your friends, chosen family, and a few intriguing strangers…

Like all events at La Peña, this gathering is inclusive of all cultures, ages, orientations and identities so you can bring your whole self to the dance floor and be properly celebrated.

 

ABOUT CABANIJAZZ PROJECT: San Francisco-Based Latin Band CABANIJAZZ PROJECT is led by GRAMMY® Award-Winning Composer and Conga Player, Javier Cabanillas. Originally from Tijuana, México, Cabanillas is now a Bay Area resident, and is concentrated on writing and arranging for his Latin band by fusing the rich Jazz harmonies with Afro-Caribbean dance rhythms. This band performs original music and highlights the very talented musicians who collectively have played through a vast array of genres from funk to pop and folkloric genres without losing their identity and each pushing forward their own unique voice. Javier Cabanillas’s compositions have received a 4-Star rating in DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE, and the music of Cabanijazz Project has been featured in NPR, PBS, United Airlines, and more.

 

PLEASE NOTE: We will require ID & Proof of Full Vaccination at the door. Booster shots and the use of masks are encouraged but NOT mandatory. See our most updated Covid-19 Policy here.