This past weekend, the Latin Ballet of Virginia presented NuYoRican. A story that follows the true story of Puerto Rican immigrants as they dealt with numerous hardships and discrimination living in New York City during the 1960s. We had the pleasure of attending the 7pm showing on Saturday March 18th. What made this showing so special as that the families that inspired the show were present and in the audience. Their energy could truly be felt throughout the entire night. Julia Barden Torres, even got on stage before the show to share a piece of her story with us. At one point she even joined in on the perform with the dancers on stage. It was truly a sight to see. If you were going to attend any of the showings, this was the one to go to.
The Cultural Art Center at Glen Allen was packed as the Latin Ballet of Virginia gave an amazing show as usual. Telling a story through dance alone, is truly an art and they have mastered it. We followed so many different stages of their journey. Tackling things like domestic abuse, menial labor, bullying, love, pride, and so much more. All this without a single word being spoken (expect for the live performance done of a song written especially for the families in the audience who the show was based on). It is extremely obvious that this event was a work of both love and passion.
Not to get too political, but with the current state of our country, there are so many concepts touched on in NuYoRician that scream true today. There is something here for everyone to relate to. If you were unable to see the show in person, we have a quick highlight video to give you just a glimpse of what missed. Check out the video and a few photos below. Although, this gives you a chance to see pieces of the show, there is nothing like seeing it in person. There is a tour in the works so be sure to stay tuned to find out about upcoming dates and cities. For now, we have heard that DC and New York currently on the list. Be sure to follow us everywhere to can for the must up to date information.
