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This BAILA comes with extra candela!! Mark April 21st on your calendar, invite all your friends, and get your best dance moves ready!

• GET YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE!! Super Early Bird: $15 | Pre-Sale: $25 | Door: $30
• VOLUNTEER & COME FOR FREE! Every shift includes free food and beverages.

The night will include:

• 7:30pm: Doors open with Ritmos Tropicales Dance Party in our Lounge!
• 8:00pm: Gender-inclusive Bachata & Salsa Dance Classes in our Theater with InEssence Dance Company (no partner or experience necessary!)
• 9:30pm: Dominican Bachata Party with DJ Ron in our Lounge & Dance Party with DJ Jose Ruiz in our Theater!
• 10:00pm: LIVE Salsa Concert with Edgardo & Candela 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 300 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.

 

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.

Our popular Salsa, Bachata & Merengue Dance Class is back!

Register now for this beginners 4-week class series that will take place on Tuesdays 6:15pm-7:15pm from April 4-25, 2023 at La Peña.

This is a 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! This class is taught as “leaders” and “followers” and is inclusive to folks of all genders, non-binary & LGBTQAI+. Partners or experience are not necessary!

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 and knees and get your own authentic feel for each genre and rhythm!

 

SERIES SCHEDULE (4 weeks) 4/04/23 – 4/25/23

• Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 6:15pm-7:15pm
• Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 6:15pm-7:15pm
• Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 6:15pm-7:15pm
• Tuesday, April 25, 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 Party. Promo code & details will be emailed after first day of class.

 

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

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!

• GET YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE!! Early Bird: $20 | Pre-Sale: $25 | Door: $30
• VOLUNTEER & COME FOR FREE! Every shift includes free food and beverages.

 

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.

* ENGLISH BELOW*

Estamos muy emocionados de presentar en La Peña a Silvia Calfuqueo y Carolina Kürüf, dos educadoras, investigadoras y activistas Mapuche que viven y trabajan en Wallmapu revitalizando su cultura ancestral desde el lenguaje, el juego, la educación y la creatividad.

Carolina y Silvia compartirán su experiencia y conocimiento sobre una variedad de problemas que enfrentan en sus comunidades y ofrecerán lecciones valiosas tanto para activistas y aliades como para todes quienes quieran aprender sobre resistencia política y cultural en territorio indígena. Algunos de los temas a discutir serán la revitalización del Mapuzungún (lengua), la cultura Mapuche en la práctica pedagógica, y la recuperación de tierras, entre otros.

• COMPRA TUS ENTRADAS CON ANTICIPACIÓN: $10-$20
• O SÉ VOLUNTARIO/A Y VEN GRATIS!
• Toda donación irá en apoyo a dos proyectos educativos en Wallmapu dirigidos por Silvia y Carolina: KATUN: Aprender Jugando y Fundación KAJFV BUDI!

 

ESTE ENCUENTRO:

• Será intercultural y bilingüe (Español / Inglés).
• Será moderado por Kelly Baur, documentalista y doctoranda en lingüística de la Universidad Estatal de Arizona.
• Tendrá la forma de un Ngütramkawun, que es un espacio de conversación donde se habla desde lo que cada uno sabe para responder de forma abierta y profunda a ciertas problemáticas sociales. En este contexto, se espera la escucha respetuosa a la gente de más conocimiento, quienes son las encargadas de orientar la conversación y asegurar el entendimiento mutuo de los participantes.
• Incluirá el visionado de videos cortos que contextualizan el trabajo en terreno y muestran parte de lo que significa la resistencia cultural en Wallmapu hoy en día.

En estos tiempos de desinformación, es crucial escuchar las experiencias en terreno de activistas y organizadores sociales para que podamos adoptar diversas tácticas que revaloricen el conocimiento indígena y nos permitan avanzar hacia un futuro justo, sostenible, y en armonía con nuestro entorno.

 

SOBRE NUESTRAS INVITADAS:

• Carolina Kürüf Poblete es profesora de educación física en la Universidad de Santiago de Chile y se desempeña en la Universidad Católica de Temuco como profesora de Pedagogía Intercultural en el contexto mapuche. Próximamente también estará trabajando en el departamento de Lengua y Cultura Mapuche. Su investigación se centra en los juegos y deportes ancestrales mapuche.
• Silvia Calfuqueo Lefio es una mujer mapuche, madre, maestra de primaria y tejedora. Su trabajo se centra en el desarrollo cultural, económico y lingüístico mapuche. Es docente en Kom pu lof ñi kimeltuwe, una escuela mapuche en territorio mapuche, y apoya a la juventud mapuche a través de un programa de cine de verano en su comunidad.
• Kelly Baur es una documentalista y organizadora comunitaria que sueña con un futuro sin policía ni fronteras. Actualmente está trabajando en un doctorado en Lingüística/Lingüística Aplicada en la Universidad Estatal de Arizona. Su investigación se centra en la revitalización de la lengua mapuche, la política lingüística y el análisis del discurso.

  

*ENGLISH*

We are very excited to present at La Peña Silvia Calfuqueo and Carolina Kürüf, two Mapuche educators, researchers and activists who live and work in Wallmapu revitalizing their ancestral culture through language, games, education and artistic creation.

Carolina and Silvia will share their experience and knowledge on a variety of issues they face in their communities and will offer valuable lessons for activists and allies as well as for anyone who wants to learn about political and cultural resistance in indigenous territory. Some of the topics to be discussed will be the revitalization of Mapuzungún (language), Mapuche culture in pedagogical practice, and land reclamation, among others.

• GET YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE: $10-$20
• OR SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AND COME FOR FREE!
• All donations will go to help two educational projects in Wallmapu directed by Silvia and Carolina: KATUN: Aprender Jugando and Fundación KAJFV BUDI!

 

THIS EVENT:

• Will be intercultural and bilingual (Spanish / English)
• Will be moderated by Kelly Baur, documentary filmmaker and doctoral student in linguistics from Arizona State University.
• Will take the form of a Ngütramkawun, which is a space for conversation where participants talk from what each one knows in order to respond openly and deeply to certain topics. In this context, we listen respectfully to the people with more knowledge, who are the ones in charge of guiding the conversation and ensuring the mutual understanding of the participants.
• Will include the viewing of short videos that contextualize the field work and show part of what cultural resistance in Wallmapu means today.

In these times of misinformation, it is crucial to listen to the experiences of activists and social organizers on the ground so that we can adopt various tactics that revalue indigenous knowledge and allow us to move towards a fair and sustainable future.

 

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

• Carolina Kürüf Poblete is a professor of physical education at the University of Santiago de Chile and works at the Catholic University of Temuco as a professor in Intercultural Pedagogy in the Mapuche context. She will soon be working in the Mapuche Language and Culture department as well. Her research focuses on ancestral Mapuche games and sports.
• Silvia Calfuqueo Lefio is a Mapuche woman, mother, elementary school teacher, and a weaver. Her work focuses on Mapuche cultural, economic, and linguistic development. She is a teacher at Kom pu lof ñi kimeltuwe, a Mapuche-run school in Mapuche territory, and supports Mapuche youth through a summer film program in her community.
• Kelly Baur is a documentary filmmaker and community organizer who dreams of a future with no police and no borders. She is currently working on a PhD in Linguistics/Applied Linguistics at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on Mapuche language revitalization, language policy, and discourse analysis.

 

   

Join us for the Bay Area Premiere of John Maas’s original piece performed by La Peña Community Chorus!

We are extremely excited to present “I Have A Dream,” a Concert with La Peña Community Chorus featuring the Bay Area Premiere of an original piece for chorus, narrator, and piano by Bay Area composer John Maas based on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inpiring “I have a dream” speech. With special guests Benjamin Mertz and members of Vukani Mawethu!

Don’t miss this evening of music and community! You can arrive early and grab a bite at Los Cilantros if you’d like some delicious Mexican food before the show. What better way to spend a Saturday evening!

 

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:

LA PEÑA COMMUNITY CHORUS: Founded in 1978 by Chilean refugees and community supporters, La Peña Community Chorus has been performing Spanish and English social justice-focused songs for over 35 years. Accompanying themselves on guitars, flutes, drums, and a large assortment of Latin American instruments, the Chorus has sung for schools, churches, homeless shelters, retirement homes, drug rehab centers, benefits for farm workers, and peace demonstrations both inside and outside of the United States.

JOHN MAAS: John Maas directed La Peña Community Chorus from 1981 to 1987. He wrote or arranged numerous pieces in its repertoire, recorded on its CDs, and also sung by other groups including Oakland Symphony Chorus, Pacific Edge Voices/Pacific Mozart Ensemble, UC Berkeley Repertory Chorus, and a few dozen others. John organized and directed Berkeley Harmonia Chorus and Orchestra, from 1988 until 1991, when he moved to Sebastopol. In 2021, he retired from 36 years as a psychologist at Kaiser and is now founding Director of Sebastopol Harmonia Community Choir.

BENJAMIN MERTZ: Benjamin Mertz was born in Hackensack, NJ, and has lived in California’s SF Bay Area since 2008. He is the Director of Diversity & Inclusion for the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute (BECI), on the board of directors of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, and the founder/director of the Joyful Noise! Gospel Singers. Benjamin is a composer, performer, and song leader who specializes in music of the Black Spiritual tradition. When not performing music, he writes and speaks on issues of racial justice, economic justice, Black History, and works on creating interfaith and interracial alliances.

VUKANI MAWETHU: Vukani Mawethu is a multi-racial community based social justice choir that sings freedom songs of Southern Africa, as well as songs showing links between struggles in the United States and around the world. They are united in their strong opposition to racism and injustice, and by their love of rhythms, melodies and harmonies which have grown out of many struggles for freedom. They collaborate, perform and organize to inspire and unite people to strive and work for peace, justice and equality for all.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Proof of vaccination and masks will be REQUIRED at the door to keep our community safe. Covid-19 protocols are determined at La Peña based on CDC guidelines and our community’s special requests. Thank you for your cooperation!