Carnaval 2022: Light Show Program

THE ASSOCIATION OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDENTS PRESENTS

Carnaval 2022

WELCOME TO

Carnaval We thank you for coming to Carnaval 2022: Light. This is our 23rd annual production of the Latine cultural showcase at WashU. Carnaval is an entirely student-run production hosted by the Association of Latin American Students. Our goal is to celebrate the diversity of Latine culture on stage together through dance, music, acting, and other performances. This year, we have over 75 student performers as well as a planning committee and our wonderful tech crew. All of our student cast and crew have put their hearts and souls into this show and we could not be prouder of them for bringing this to the stage during a pandemic on a rushed schedule. We are so excited to be back in Edison Theatre with a live audience after two years of uncertainty, and we are so grateful to the friends and family that have supported the show and those behind it throughout this time. We bring Carnaval 2022 to you as the Light breaks through the clouds in many of our lives. Even as darkness may crowd in, we hope that this show can bring you each a moment of Light, hope, and resilience.

Please enjoy the show!

Sabrina Lozada & Alex Herrera Carnaval 2022 Co-Directors

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Carnaval Committee Sabrina Lozada

Alex Herrera

Carnaval Co-Director

Carnaval Co-Director

Jennifer Lopez

Beecher Sanderson

RJ Lucas

Michelle Perez Guevara

Noe Bustos

Sarah Del Carmen Camacho

Q Negrete

Andrea Montecinos-Padilla

Ashley Weir

Daniel Cazares

Co-Public Relations Chair

Co-Skit Director

Choreographer Liaison

Secretary, Swing Chair

Choreo Liaison FL2021

Co-Public Relations Chair

Co-Skit Director

Production Manager SP2022

Philanthropy Chair

Production Manager FL2021

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Show Order Act I, Scene 1

Act II, Scene 1

MARIACHI

FUSION DANCE

Act I, Scene 2

Act II, Scene 2

CHA-CHA

CARNIVAL FLAG WALK

Act I, Scene 3

Act II, Scene 3

WU FUEGO

SALSA BY WU SAUCE

Act I, Scene 4

Act II, Scene 4

PHILANTHROPY

RUMBA CUBANA

Intermission

Epilogue

FOLKLÓRICO

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Skit The Carnaval Skit takes place alongside our show’s live team performances with scenes interspersed throughout the showcase. The skit usually tackles social issues that are relevant to the Latine community and the Latine experience at WashU. Our skit this year deals with a few topics that may be difficult for some viewers, so we encourage you to review our specific content warnings below. If you feel you need to leave the theater because of the skit’s themes and want someone to talk to, peer counselors from Uncle Joe’s will be present.

Writers & Directors RJ Lucas Michelle Perez Guevara

Production Manager Sarah Del Carmen Camacho

Cast Vlad Alarcon ...................... Alejandro Sam Herrera ............................... Itzel Jacqui Escatel ....... Gloriana (mother) Guinter Vogg ............. Rogelio (uncle) Yair Rojo ............................. Husband Christian Monzón ......... Ale’s Partner Laura Vega Perdomo ................ Aunt

After the death of his grandmother, WashU first-year Alejandro travels to his mother’s hometown in Guatemala and meets an old family friend named Itzel who helps him grapple with the intersections between his cultural and sexual identities. She explains to him the story of the national bird, the Quetzal, as a symbol of hope, light, and decolonization. As Ale discovers more about himself, his family, and his heritage, he and Itzel seek to find how they fit into a community that may not always accept them.

Content Warnings - Homophobia - Discussion of mental health & mental illness - Implied domestic violence - Discussion of miscarriage and postpartum depression - Dying of old age and funerary services

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Mariachi Singers O Malik Gaye Sabrina Lozada Melissa Villegas-Marin

Dancers Aldo Estrada Clarissa Gaona Romero Q Negrete Beecher Sanderson

Mariachi is a genre of regional Mexican music that originated in Western-Central Mexico around the 18th century. The ideal instrumentation includes six violins, two trumpets, and three rhythm instruments: the guitar, the vihuela, and the guitarron. Having a solo mariachi singer is not required as mariachi music has many different styles which include boleros, huapangos, sones jaliscienses, corridos, rancheras, jarochos, and valses. Some well-known mariachi artists include: Vicente Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, José Alfredo Jiménez, Lola Beltrán, and Jenni Rivera. Our mariachi performance this year does not include live instrumental accompaniment, but we hope that our singers and dancers can give you a glimpse into this diverse form of entertainment.

“Si Nos Dejan” - José Alfredo Jiménez “La Charreada” - Linda Ronstadt

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Cha-Cha Cha-Cha, formally known as the Cha-Cha-Cha, originated in Cuba as a fusion of two prevalent social dances— mambo and danzón—and became popular in the United States circa 1950. Enrique Jorrin, a Cuban violinist and composer, is frequently credited with the creation of Cha-Cha music by simplifying the complex, syncopated mambo-danzón melodies. Dancers naturally began to add a three-step side-chassé to their dances as a result of this rhythmic simplification while still incorporating the upbeat energy of mambo and danzón. Our dance this year also incorporates elements of contemporary dance and ballroom-style Cha-Cha, which is more oriented towards competition performances in the United States.

Choreographers Tia Lemberg Michael Zaslavskiy

Dancers Cydney Bibbs Jorie Fleming Emily Flores Jack Manting Liz Silva Jeanette Smith

“Dinero” - Trinidad Cardona

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WU Fuego Choreographers Adriana De Santiago Lucy Schlueter Roberto Cabrera-Castro Carlos Cepeda

Dancers Rose Abarbanel Xenaira Arguedas Sophie Dorosin Mia Hamernik Kyle Hernandez Jefferson Liu Sofia Robayo-Camargo Isabel Walsman-Diaz

Bachata is a dance that was created in the Dominican Republic after the conclusion of the repressive dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the 1960s. Bachata survived the post-dictatorship era by appearing in brothels and bars at spontaneous intervals; only the boldest of radio stations would play Bachata on a frequent basis. Bachata was on the decline until the 90s when it experienced a revival at the hands of artists such as Aventura and Juan Luis Guerra 4.40. The dance and music styles were completely revolutionized to what is most commonly seen today at parties and social dance venues, yet it is still important to remember its origins. Today, our performance honors both modern and traditional Bachata by incorporating both styles.

“Man Overboard” - sP Polanco feat.

Pinto Picasso “Nereyda” - Raulin Rodriguez

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Philanthropy The St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline (SQSH) is a grassroots, communitybased organization dedicated to providing spaces and support for queer St. Louisans to thrive. SQSH seeks to serve and strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community in the St. Louis MO-IL Metro Area and beyond by providing an empathetic listening ear and safe and reliable connections to identityaffirming resources, as well as education and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ concerns and needs.

This year, Carnaval is proud to partner with SQSH as they continue to serve the St. Louis queer community. In order to financially support this organization in their mission, we will be donating all proceeds from fundraising sales during intermission as well as a portion of proceeds ticket sales. We also encourage you to consider making a donation through the QR code on the right to further support SQSH.

Philanthropy Chair Andrea Montecinos-Padilla

SQSH Video Credits Script written by Sindy Ivaturi (they/them) Translated to Spanish by Catriona Docherty (she/they) English Video read by Paola Santiago (she/they) Spanish Video read by Julia López (she/ella) Find SQSH on social media:

@thesqsh

Donate to SQSH Here: Scan the QR code with your phone or visit here: https://edison.wustl. edu/calendar_event/ carnaval-2022/

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Fusion Dance Choreographers Lawton Blanchard Isa D’Ottone

Dancers Sofia Angulo-Lopera Noelle Casem Sonia Dias Destinee Flonnoy Aisha Odusanya Josie Robinson Kathryn Xu

Cultural dances are important around the world as a form of self-expression, entertainment, and more. Our performance seeks to honor the ways in which Latin American dance styles have fused with dances from around the world to create new ways of moving and celebrating together. The choreography this year uses elements of Belly dance—which originated in the Middle East and is very popular in Brazil— and fuses them with elements of hip hop, Latin social dancing, Afro and Afro-Latine dance styles, and ballroom dancing. We hope that you enjoy our performance as we try to pay homage to the beautiful blending of cultures that is so common in Latin American dance traditions.

“Carnival” - BVNDIT “Sin Pijama” - Becky G and Natti Natasha “S&M” - Rihanna “All of You Say” - Minzy “Woman” - Doja Cat “Tú Me Quemas” - Chino y Nacho, Gente De Zona, Los Cadillac’s

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Carnival Flag Walk Presented by the Caribbean American Student Association, the carnival flag walk showcases the diversity of carnival attire in the Caribbean diaspora. Throughout the Caribbean and West Indies, the months surrounding the Catholic Lent are a season of great festivity and celebration. These celebrations, usually called Junkanoo or CropOver, boast elaborate headdresses and costumes that are infamous around the globe. Come celebrate the season and cheer for all islands represented, both big and small.

Performers Courtney Abbott Kailah Adams Zachary Bernagene Bria Couliboly Padma Doobay Sarah Forbes Gianna Glenn Rodery Gonzalez Taylour John-Lewis Lé-Anne Johnson Ayana Loyd Bryanna Mendez Zoe Mercado Nadia Myrie Sarah Narcisse Dajana Pierre Rafiyah Pollard Isamar Rodriguez Marcelle Santana Rovira DJ Soko

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Salsa by WU Sauce Choreographers Billy An Ashley Zhu

Dancers Hugo Cordova* Rachel Dabbs Varsha Danda Leila El-Badry Jack Horan Jessica Huang Maya Kovacevic Tia Lemberg Nicole Lukens Jack Manting Sofia Mora Clay Mudter* Camryn Smalling Jeanette Smith Forrest Whiting* Patrick Wiecko Michael Zaslavskiy *Guest performers

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Performed by WU Sauce, this year’s salsa has a fusion of LA-style salsa, hip hop, and Cuban-style rueda de casino.

Salsa, the Spanish term for “sauce,” first emerged as a dance form in Cuba and Puerto Rico in the e arly 20th century as a fusion of several different social dances such as mambo, cha-cha, pachanga, swing dance, and others.

In its origins, the word salsa may have been used as a cry by musicians in energetic songs to spur on the dancers and make performances more exciting.

Salsa was popularized in the United States by Latine immigrants and, over time, grew into the ballroom style most common in U.S. salsa competitions.

By combining several high-energy songs and using different choreographic stylings, we hope to portray some of the varied forms that this dance can take.

“Baila Conmigo” - Jennifer Lopez “2020 Superbowl Remix” - Jennifer Lopez ft. J Balvin “Mi Gente” Salsa Remix - J Balvin x LaFame “Vivir Mi Vida” - Marc Anthony

Rumba Cubana Rumba originated in Cuba and was developed in the late nineteenth century from African diasporic communities at Matanzas and Havana, quickly surging to prominence in Afro-Cuban culture. Later, Salsa was created in early twentieth-century Cuba, fusing two popular styles: Afro-Cuban Rumba and Cuban son. Cuban son, or “Cuban sound,” refers to the musicality and rhythms of Cuban music. Rumba captures the Afro-Cuban Street style of dancing and culture and the combination of Rumba and Cuban Son into one dance, Salsa, demonstrates the immense diversity in the Cuban population. Our dance is a representation of this diversity, mixing elements of Rumba and Salsa to celebrate Cuban culture in a new way.

Choreographer Lauren Jorrin

Dancers Vlad Alarcon Isamar Rodriguez Roxana Leal Lizbeth Guijarro Magaña Zaira Najera Rodriguez

“Fiesta Para Bebo (with Los Muñequitos De Matanzas)” - Diego el Cigala “Somos Cubanos” - Los Van Van

Text Source: https://www.dance-america.com/history-of-the-cha-cha-dance-81.html

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Folklórico Choreographer Beecher Sanderson

Dancers Colleen Avila Aldo Estrada Clarissa Gaona Romero Ceci Gutierrez Torreseptien Jahselyn Medina Q Negrete Yuan Song

Baile folklórico, literally “folkloric dance,” is an umbrella term for the traditional folk dances of Mexico that have been integrated with some ballet characteristics. Baile folklórico utilizes highly rhythmic steps, dramatic skirt work, and creative choreography to create energized and vibrant performances.

Folklórico showcases the diversity of Mexico, as each state and region has its own style, dress, famous songs, and corresponding dances that trace their influences back to Spanish, Western, and indigenous roots. For Carnaval 2022, we will be doing selections from the state of Nuevo León, featuring polka and huapango norteño.

The choreography is inspired by the Ballet Folklórico Mazatliltic and the Compañía Titular de Danza Folklórica de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Léon.

“La Evangelina” - Esencias “El Lucero” - Los Coyotes De Rio Bravo

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Acknowledgments Thank you to our advisor Peggy Hermes, the 2021-22 ALAS Executive Board, Fatima Delgado Taboada, our student tech crew, photographer Jiyoon Kang, WashU Student Union, Bill Larson, Kyle Himsworth, Emily Kennebeck, the rest of the Edison Theatre staff, and all of the volunteer ushers for making this show possible.

Special thanks to our guest performers from the Caribbean American Student Association, WU Fuego, and WU Sauce, as well as all of the friends and family who supported us as we brought this show to life.

To our Carnaval Committee, thank you for all of your continued efforts throughout the year. We know that it has not been easy, and we appreciate all that you have given to this show and to us. To our choreographers and team leaders, you are truly the heart and soul of our showcase. Thank you for rising to the occasion this year and pulling off an incredible show. Carnaval could not happen without all of you.

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About Us Carnaval is the annual Latine cultural showcase at WashU. Through a variety of performances, our student cast and crew work to celebrate Latine culture on stage.

Sponsored by the Association of Latin American Students, Carnaval represents a broad diaspora of Latine communities and, while we wish we could show you everything our culture has to offer, we hope that this selection does justice to the beauty and diversity that we come from. Whether you are here to celebrate your culture with us or to learn something new, we hope that you enjoy Carnaval 2022: Light.