Artist Exchange
CCL ARTIST EXCHANGE PROJECT
Conceived in 2009, the Artist Exchange program supports worthy dancers, directors, and choreographers in both California and in México by facilitating a bilateral educational exchange. The recipients residing in México have come to the Bay Area to study and to share their craft. The recipients residing in the USA have gone to México to study and perfect their craft.
If you are interested in initiating, sponsoring, or co-sponsoring an artist exchange with CCL, please contact us.
EXCHANGES AND ARTIST RESIDENCIES oVER THE YEARS
2023
In July, 2023 we welcomed musicians from Los Arribeños de San Francisco for a one-night fandango in the Alta California style of California’s history, specifically when it was part of México. the Mexican period of the California Fandango Project. Led by tecolero Jim Letchworth reviewed musical styles and taught dances which were then executed with their ensemble’s live music. One of the highlights was offering the dancers a freeform opportunity to use the step combinations they learned while the tecolero called out the next sequence or formation, similar to what a caller does in American square dance. This unique experience is one of the many building blocks in the creation of a new dance suite choreographed by Artistic Director Samuel Cortez entitled Los Californios: Tales of Alta California which will debut in Los Lupeños’ annual fall concert.
This Residency was sponsored by generous grant support from the Hewlett Foundation.
Los Arribeños de San Francisco
2023
In May, 2023 we welcomed Ensamble Folklórico de Veracruz from Xalapa, Veracruz, México. These 5 multi-talented musicians spent a week in residency with Los Lupeños where they broke down the structure of the son jarocho adding musical examples familiar to the dancers. Together they explored the symbiotic relationship between jarocho music and the folklórico steps that combine to create melody and rhythm. While they were in San José, they also played at the 2023 FOLKLOREADA community festival.
This Residency was sponsored by generous grant support from the Hewlett Foundation.
Ensamble Folklórico
de Veracruz
2023
In March, 2023 we welcomed Alfredo Luna Santiago of Coyutla, Veracruz, México. Maestro Luna Santiago belongs to the talented new generation of researchers, directors, and choreographers in México. He teaches folklórico at many levels including to university students where he assigns them field research projects. Maestro Luna Santiago’s main area of research has been in the huasteca region of Veracruz, specifically in the area around his hometown, Coyutla. Based on his detailed studies, the maestro created stage versions of the ceremonial huapango dances of the area. While in residency with Los Lupeños dance companies, he also gave a public workshop on Huapangos con Banda de Chicontepec with a lecture following.
This Residency was sponsored by generous grant support from the Hewlett Foundation.
Alfredo Luna Santiago
2022
In September, 2022 we welcomed back Angel Ciro Silvestre García of Xalapa, Veracruz, México. Maestro Silvestre García is the Director of the Ballet Folklórico de Veracruz and a renown researcher and choreographer. During the 4 weeks that maestro Silvestre García worked Los Lupeños and Los Lupeños Juvenil dancers he set three dance suites. He also collaborated with Los Lupeños Artistic Director Samuel Cortez and a small team of dancers on a special dance suite that will debut in late 2023. They were able to take the project from just research to the first prototypes of the dances, a great learning experience for all involved. Maestro Silvestre García also offered two workshops open to the public, Sones del Puerto de Veracruz for teens/adults and El Huapango Veracruzano for youth.
This Residency was sponsored by generous grant support from the Hewlett Foundation.
Angel Ciro Silvestre García
2022
In August, 2022 we were happy to welcome Kareli Montoya, founder and director of the Ballet Folklórico de Los Angeles. Maestra Montoya spent a productive week rehearsing our Juvenil and Performing Company dancers. She worked on stage presence, body placement, faldeo, and técnica de zapateado.
This Residency was sponsored by generous grant support from the Hewlett Foundation.
Kareli Montoya
2022
Originally scheduled for 2020, our 2022 resident artist is José Felipe Martínez Báez, Director of the Ballet Folklórico P’indekua from Morelia, Michoacán. Maestro Martínez Báez spent 3 weeks in residency with Los Lupeños and Los Lupeños Juvenil in April and also offered a public workshop in San José multiple public lectures about his home state Michoacán and specific traditions related to el Día de los Muertos.
You can watch his entire lecture, La Tradición de Día de Muertos en la Zona Lacustre de Michoacán, on YouTube.
This Residency was sponsored by generous grant support from the Hewlett Foundation and an Artist Exchange grant from the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs.
José Felipe Martínez Baez
2018
Our 2018 artist was Angel Ciro Silvestre García, Artistic Director of the Ballet Folklórico de la Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, México. Maestro Silvestre García spent a week in residency working with Los Lupeños dancers to recreate an indigenous wedding, Boda en Chicontepec, which debuted at our TRIBUTO concert in September, 2018. Maestro Silvestre García also gave a public workshop and multiple public lectures about the traditions of his home state Veracruz.
This Exchange was sponsored by an Artist Exchange grant from the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs.
Angel Ciro Silvestre García
2015
Our 2015 artist was Marco Antonio Ojeda García, master instructor from La Paz, Baja California Sur who spent a week working with Los Lupeños Performing Company on a new suite of coastal dances from his hometown. The new suite had its debut in the Tierra Mestiza concerts on September 24th and 25th, 2016 at the Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater in San José, California.
Marco Antonio Ojeda García
2014
Ignacio Sánchez Verduzco
2013
Our 2013 artists were Magdalena Vega and Arturo Magaña, dancers/instructors from Los Lupeños that had a week-long residency at the University of Colima under the tutelage of celebrated master instructor Rafael Zamarripa. There they had both daily lectures and movement workshops focused on learning an original choreodrama entitled “La Marcela” which was brought back and added to Los Lupeños’ repertoire.
Magdalena Vega
Arturo Magaña
2012
Ignacio Sánchez Verduzco
2011
Our 2011 artist was Rosie Chavarria Peña from Los Angeles, California. Rosie travelled to Chapala, Jalisco, México to work with Cashion Cultural Legacy founder Susan Cashion to document the early days of Mexican folklórico dance in California. The product of this collaboration was the publication “No Boots”.
Rosie Chavarria Peña
2010
Our 2010 artist was René González from Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. In the Bay Area, René experienced contemporary dance with Robert Moses in San Francisco and set a new suite of dances, Plaza Guadalajara, for Los Lupeños de San José. Plaza Guadalajara is the work of renowned choreographer René Arce and was debuted in the San Francisco Dance Festival in 2011. In 2011, René also taught a selection from his choreography “De Rojo la Noche” which was performed by Los Lupeños in their show “Con todo el corazón” at the Theatre on San Pedro Square.
René González
