Cultural collaborations keep it cookin' in New Brunswick

Raices Cultural Center, the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick, and the Lustig Dance Theatre are pleased to present cultural, educational and artistic programming in downtown New Brunswick starting in January 2011.

Raices Cultural Center co-directors Francisco G. Gomez and Nicole Wines have been added to the dance faculty at the Lustig Dance Theatre, offering Afro-Caribbean Dance for adults and teens in the LDT studios at 80 Albany Street, every Saturday from 2:30 to 4:00 PM.

Classes will focus on the folkloric and traditional dances of the Caribbean, and will be accompanied by live percussion, played by Raices Ensemble members Holly Taylor and Francisco A. Gomez. Participants should wear loose clothes, bring plenty of water and come prepared to break a sweat as they move and groove to the pulse of the Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

The First Reformed Church of New Brunswick will host Raicitas (“little roots”) children’s and family cultural workshops every Sunday from 3:00-4:30 PM, in the Fellowship Hall at 9 Bayard Street. These workshops will include instruction in dance, percussion, song, cultural history and folkloric traditions, with workshops focused on rotating cultural themes and traditions. Parents are welcome and invited to participate in the workshops with their children to create an intergenerational community learning environment.

 

This pilot program is made possible with the generous support of the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick, as well as a grant from the New Brunswick Community Arts Council’s “Bread for Art” fundraising program.

Students participating in either class will have performance opportunities through student performances and collaborative concerts. Dedicated students exhibiting commitment and talent may also be selected to audition for the Raices Cultural Center Performance Ensemble and the Raicitas Youth Ensemble.

More information about Raices Cultural Center and its programming is available online at www.raicesculturalcenter.org, or by calling Francisco G. Gomez at 908 227 5671 or Nicole Wines at 732 236 7618.