PROGRAMS
What students have to say
School Assemblies
Hispanic Culture Arts has brought both in person and virtual assemblies to schools in Manhattan, Bronx, Westchester and Rockland County, serving all students both in community and specialized schools. Our assemblies include demonstrations taught workshop-style, in which the teaching artists are joined on stage by the students, as they try their hand in dance steps and singing.
10-week Residency
-
Week 1 - Performance by HCA Artists and Introduction to Music, Dance and Production teams
-
Weeks 2 - 6 - Teams work separately on their assigned tasks, coming together for reflection at the end of each contact session
-
Weeks 7-9 - Teams come together to start putting all of the pieces together onstage, with some time for teams to work separately to iron out any problem areas
-
Week 10 - Dress rehearsal, performances and reflection
#ZarzuelainSchools
Exposes children to the variety of cultural expressions found in zarzuela, the musical theater tradition of the Hispanic world
Zarzuela is a musical theater genre from Spain that alternates between spoken and sung scenes. It incorporates operatic and popular songs as well as dance. It is analogous to American operetta and
musical theater. The word Zarzuela may have derived from the name of a Royal hunting lodge known as the Palacio de la Zarzuela, near Madrid, where allegedly this type of entertainment was first presented at court.
There are two main types of Zarzuela:
- Baroque Zarzuela (1630-1750)
- Romantic Zarzuela (1850-1950)
The most important composers of the Zarzuela genre include Ruperto Chapí; Federico Barbieri. Federico Chueca, Pablo Sorozobal and Francisco Moreno-Torroba.
Playing on the Borderline: Music, Visual Arts, Movement and Global Citizenship
This arts residency is inspired by the musical work in the video “Borderline: Batucada with Orchestra” by Spanish born and lifetime New Yorker, composer Ricardo Llorca. Infused with the “Batucada” rhythms of Bahia (Brazil), Llorca created his work as a reaction to the global inequities protests occurring in Madrid in 2010.
El amor brujo
This bi-lingual arts residency, inspired by the Spanish ballet, El Amor Brujo, combines poetry, music, dance, and flamenco culture. Based on the poetry and songs of María Lejárraga’s libretto and the music by Manuel de Falla, students will explore themes of power, obsession, and freedom. Students will be exposed to the rich flamenco culture and will have the opportunity to explore the themes through multiple points of entry including poetry, music, dance, and visual arts. The residency culminates with a reconstruction of scenes from El Amor Brujo with a NYC twist.
El Sombrero de Tres Picos
This bi-lingual arts residency is inspired by the 20th century ballet masterpiece, "El Sombrero de Tres Picos" or "The Three-Cornered Hat." With libretto by early 20th-century playwright María Lejárraga and music by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, students will become cultural interpreters of “ El Sombrero de tres picos,” finding personal relevance with this work to modern-day life in New York City.
Three Hispanic Women
Three notable Hispanic women from the 18th century whose portraits are on display at the Hispanic Society of America Museum & Library are experienced thru the lense of music, dance, and geography: "La Duquesa de Alba," (Spain) "María Catalina de Urrutía," (Puerto Rico) and the lady in the family portrait painted by Juan Rodríguez Juárez (Mexico).
A Suite of 18th Century Dances from Peru
Census takers of 18th-century Peru were sent by a local bishop to take note of the citizens of the region. A bandwagon of painters, scribes and musicians wrote and painted what is known as the Trujillo Codex. This workshop explores cultural identity via dance, music, food, maps, and customs as seen in this colorful codex.
I, Juan de Pareja
Utilizing the Newberry Medal winner novel of the same name as inspiration, this workshop explores the life of Juan de Pareja, slave and master apprentice to 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. The original painting is on display at the MET museum, and a copy of this painting belongs to the Hispanic Society Museum & Library. The workshop incorporates baroque dance, music and painting. The curriculum uses social equality themes contextualized in 17th century Spain and Italy. Pareja was a master painter in his own right, and continued to paint after his manumission from Velázquez. For middle school through 9th grade.
El patio del mi casa
Introduction to song and dance from Puerto Rico, Hait and Dominican Republic, Mexico and Spain, with instruction in hand percussion instruments such as the clave, pandero and pandereta for elementary school aged children. This curriculum supports Social Studies, as well as leading students to explore the meaning of community, and their place within it. Our essential question of "How am I a citizen of the world?" is the guiding thought through this fun and interactive program.
