Schaumburg Township District Library

This fall, the Schaumburg Township District Library celebrated once again the presence of Hispanic heritage in the community and the Day of the Dead from October 1 to November 2.



The Dia de los Muertos celebration featured local Mexican artist Cristina Colunga to create a community ofrenda at each of their locations. An ofrenda is a display, sometimes called a memory table, built to honor lost loved ones. They also read bilingual stories and made practical crafts and Mexican delicacies (while supplies last).



And on Wednesday, November 2, at Central Library. I enjoy a show from the Centro de Artes Peruanas, showing music and dances related to the Day of the Dead in the Inca culture. The Machu llaquini dance or the sad old man dancing, ancestral dance in reference to the Dead. The Wallatas dance in reference to human reproduction and the characteristic huayno of the Peruvian highlands.



Thank you to Stephanie Driscoll for the invitation

Creative Services Librarian - Schaumburg Township District Library

Thank you to Bobbi Sloan and Terry Seyring for the support

Schaumburg Township District Library board.

Thank you to Alvaro, Gaby, Claudia and Ruben for the great performances

Thank you to the musicians Hugo Gutierrez and Alberto Otarola for the great concert.



Closing Ceremony Fall 2022

Magnificent Closing Ceremony of the Dance Academy of the Center of Peruvian ARTS.

All the students excelled in the Andean and coastal ancestral dance of Peru on December 17, 2022, at the Pineapple studio, by teachers Jessica Loyaga and Ruben Pachas. This event featured the presentation of Chef Jose Cueva who delighted us with Peruvian flavors such as the delicious Peruvian Andean bread "Tanta Wawa" inspired by Peruvian fauna, especially the Wallatas or Andean goose with the t…

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Elmhurst University

Valicha Dance - Making the bridge o CHAKA in quechua language

Ruben Pachas and Jessica Loyaga are the founder of Peruvian Folk Dance center — Chicago-based Peruvian indigenous art education and research practice focused on cultivating, promoting, and collaborative organizing interdisciplinary projects looking at the conservation the ancestral values through Peruvian indigenous arts practice, with emphasis on exchange and communication across disciplines.

Using the indigenous educational creative technique and an education design with engagement interventions that address the complexity of urban systems and social equity by looking at intersections between music, theater, and visual arts. All these steps are through planning and community participatory processes.

Last Jan 27, 2022, Ruben Pachas was invited to Elmhurst University, Sociology department to share the knowledge about Ancestral Homeland from Peru, through a music and dance workshop, talking about National dance of Peru “huayno” and ancestral and colonial instruments. With the singular success with the workshops with the participation of the undergraduate students and the professor Emily M. Navarro, Ph.D. in Sociology, the outcomes obtained were more than we expected, the students understood the cultural values of the Peruvian ancestral indigenous cultures.

Thank you to Elmhurst University, to Professor Emily M. Navarro, Ph.D. in Sociology for having our cultural work and for making this event possible.




Peruvian workshop

Valicha Huayno - Full dance

Ruben Pachas created a fun and informative workshop for my university class on "Latina/os in the U.S." Although my students were initially quite hesitant to dance, Ruben quickly put everyone at ease, and within minutes, twenty college students were stomping, dancing, and rushing around the room in different formations. By the end of class, everyone was laughing, breathing hard, and enjoying the moment. My students reported to me later that they were nervous but ended up having more fun than expected. They even felt that the dances helped to create a new sense of community and cooperation in the classroom. Furthermore, Ruben does an excellent job bringing in the importance of indigenous knowledge and culture, which was very relevant for our course. Students felt that they had a better understanding of indigeneity through this participatory workshop.


Emily M. Navarro, PhD (she/her/ella)

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Elmhurst University, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126 

(Ancestral Homeland of the Council of Three Fires--the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi) 



Rauner College Prep at Spanish class

With singular success and with the presence of the student's audience, the performance of the Peruvian Folk Dance Center was held on Wednesday, December 15th, in the activities program of the "Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in the curricula of the Spanish class” by the Rauner College Per, A Noble School, and Mr. Matthew Hollander.

On this occasion, the attendees could enjoy traditional dances from south and center of Peru, started with the ancestral national dance of Peru, the Huayno “Valicha from Cusco”, then the Marinera Puneña with Huayñu and then on a trip to the jungle and central of Peru with the warrior dance Shapish of Chupaca from Junin.

We had the great honor of also presenting Andean music by multi-instrumentalist Hugo Gutierrez - a global Andean artist and musical instrument craftsman. After the performances students had a music and dance Peruvian workshop

Peruvian folk Dance Center wishes to thank all students and special to Mate Hollander - Spanish Teacher at school for having our cultural work and for making this event possible.


El centro de la danza folclórica peruana en Rauner College Prep en la clase de español

Con singular éxito y con la presencia del público estudiantil, el miércoles 15 de diciembre se llevó a cabo la presentación del Centro de Danza Folclórica del Perú, dentro del programa de actividades de la “Celebración del Mes de la Hispanidad en los planes de estudio de la clase de español” a cargo de la Rauner College Per, A Noble School y el Sr. Mateo Hollander.

En esta oportunidad los asistentes pudieron disfrutar de danzas tradicionales del sur y centro del Perú, iniciando con la ancestral danza nacional del Perú, el Huayno “Valicha del Cusco”, luego la Marinera Puneña con Huayñu y luego un viaje a la selva y centro del Perú con la danza guerrera Shapish de Chupaca de Junín.

Tuvimos el gran honor de presentar también la música andina del multi instrumentista Hugo Gutiérrez, artista andino global y artesano de instrumentos musicales. Después de las presentaciones, los estudiantes tuvieron un taller de música y danza peruana.

El Centro de Danza Folclórica Peruana desea agradecer a todos los alumnos y en especial al maestro de español Mate Hollander por contar con nuestra labor cultural y por hacer posible este evento.

Students with dancers

Students after music workshop

Video of the performances and workshop

Trickster Cultural Center - Native Connection

Trickster Cultural Center - Native Connections

190 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL

(847) 301-2090

https://www.tricksterculturalcenter.org

In celebration of The Day of the Dead and America’s indigenous heritage, The Trickster Cultural Center - Native Connections is hosting a special exhibition led by Joseph Podlase/CEO, Gina Rixas/program Coordinator, Desiree Salpietro/Curator and Special event coordinator. With the participation of “The Teotlecuilli Aztec Dance Group,” leading by Fabiola Avila and Àngel Barajas, sponsored by The Kenneth Young Center, this event showcases the special place of The Day of the Dead in Mexico’s Aztec culture, while the collaboration of “The Peruvian Folk Dance Center'' leading by Ruben Pachas and Jessica Loyaga highlights features of pre-Hispanic Inca culture.

The exhibition opened on Saturday, October 30 at 10 a.m. with a Pre-Hispanic Aztec ceremony honoring the world’s four cardinal points, then continued with an enactment of the “Chinelos Dance” from the state of Morelos in Mexico. This was followed by an explanation of the Aztec altar and aspects of pre-Hispanic Inca culture, culminating with the Inca dance “Soq'a Machu Chullpas,” which means the “bad breath of the old souls buried in Incan cemeteries.” The event concluded with a free showing of the film Coco, under the direction of Adrian Molina.

Community organizations and businesses were present, with such activities as a workshop to make decorated skulls for children, youth and adults also featured.

The exhibition will remain open until Saturday, November 6—please come visit!



Video

Jessica Loyaga

Gaby Alma

Alvaro Anco

Ruben Pachas

Victor Peña

Soq’a Machu Chullpas dance

Victor Peña and Gaby Almanza

“The Teotlecuilli Aztec Dance Group,” and “The Peruvian Folk Dance Center'' highlights features of pre-Hispanic Inca culture.  


Ruben Pachas playing the tropical mollusk Strombus was used in the Andes as a ceremonial trumpet, and this type of instrument was known as a pututo.

The Strombus is a warm water seashell associated with the cycle of water. Water originates in the sea and then returns to the earth as rainfall, and via rivers and canals it irrigates the land and causes plants to flourish. Pututos, which produce a strong, deep sound, were played by trumpeters in ceremonies associated with water.

Strombus shells were also important offerings to the gods, who had to be thanked for the blessings they bestowed. That is why they are found in groups of offerings placed in important temples, beginning during the Formative Epoch. In ancient Peru ceramic trumpets were also made, and their designs recreated the shape of these seashells.

Ceramic Mochica trumpeter; Mochica Strombus seashell pututo; Mochica ceramic pututo; miniature gilded copper Strombus; silver Chimú whistles; seashell whistles.

Museo Larco, Lima - Peru.

Artistic directors of The Teotlecuilli Aztec Dance Group and The Peruvian Folk Dance Center.


Holy Family Academy in Invernes

Holy Family Catholic Academy in Inverness, IL, distinguished academy who became the first suburban elementary school in Illinois to become authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School--Primary Years Programme (IB), and also became an IB World School being named the first middle school in the state to become STEM certified by Cognia (formerly known as AdvancED) as well as the distinction of receiving a 2017 US Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award for exemplary learning and teaching, celebrated Hispanic heritage Month with Peruvian Folk Dance Center who shows to the students dances from the Andes of Peru through the National dance of Peru " Huayno" from Cusco and the soldier dance " Shapish of Chupaca from Junin". The school was very impressed and happy to see the great performances that they never forget.The live music that attracted the audience was performed by the extraordinary musician Huguito Gutierrez

Thank you to Señora Jessica Loyaga Staff and Mrs.Kate O'Brien- Principal, for the invitation.

Artists Jessica Loyaga, Hugo Gutierrez and Ruben Pachas



Shapish de Chupaca dance

Huguito Gutierrez profesional Andean Musician

Shapish de Chupaca dance

Valicha dance

Valicha Dance

Hugo Gutierrez

06/19/21 World Refugee Day Chicago

Marinera from Puno Peru dance

The Refugee Organization in Chicago celebrate the “World Refugee day” on Saturday, June 19 lives stream in Evanston, IL. The event was featured artist who were singers, musicians, and dancers. Peruvian Folk Dance Center participate show Andean dance Marinera from Puno- Peru and Afro-Peruvian Instruments culture.

Marinera from Puno, Peru

Quijada de Burro or Donkey Jaw

Cajita Instrument

Peruvian Cajon instrument


10/17/21 Dominican University - Performances

Shapish de Chupaca dance from Junin, Peru in Chicago.

With singular success and with the presence of a large audience, the presentation of the Peruvian Folk Dance Center was held on Sunday, October 17, in the activities program by the "Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month” by the Dominican University.

On this occasion, the attendees could enjoy traditional dances from south and center of Peru, started with the ancestral national dance of Peru, the Huayno “Valicha from Cusco”, then Festejo dance or Afro-Peruvian dance from Chincha in southern Peru and then on a trip to the jungle and central of Peru with the warrior dance Shapish of Chupaca from Junin.

Peruvian folk Dance Center wishes to thank all the attending public and those who were present and to Dominican University for having our cultural work and for making this event possible.

Festejo dance from Lima, Peru in Chicago.

Valicha dance from Cusco, Peru in Chicago

Shapish de Chupaca dance from Junin, Peru in Chicago

10/02/21 AT&T PERFORMANCES -

With singular success and with the presence of a large audience, the presentation of the Peruvian Folk Dance Center was held on Saturday, October 2, in the activities carried out by the "Celebration of Hispanic heritage" by AT&T and LatinStreet music. and dance from September 15 to October 15.

On this occasion, the attendees were able to enjoy dances from south, north and center of Peru, the Festejo dance or Afro-Peruvian dance from Chincha in southern Peru, then an ancestral dance from the north called Tondero or representation of the courtship of birds, then they present dance from Lima or the capital of Peru called Vals Criollo or walts jaranero. Then flirting dance or Marinera from the north of Peru in the department of La Libertad and we travel to the jungle center of Peru showing you a war dance of Junín - Shapish de Chupaca.

Peruvian folk Dance Center wishes to thank all the attending public and those who were present virtually since it was broadcast live. We also want to thank AT&T, the largest telecommunications company in the world and LatinStreet music and dance of Andres Meneses from Chicago for having our cultural work and for making this event possible.

We thank the dancers Alma Almanza, Victor Peña, Alvaro Anco and the artistic directors Jessica loyaga and Ruben Pachas.

Tondero, Dance from Piura - Peru in Chicago

Marinera Norteña dance from Lambayeque, Peru in Chicago

Festejo dance from Ica, Peru in Chicago

Shapish dance from Junin, Peru in Chicago.

Vals Criollo from Lima, Peru in Chicago.

Grand Finale

09-16-21 - AURORA PUBLIC LIBRARY - HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

With singular success and with the presence of a large audience, the presentation of the Peruvian Folk Dance Center was held on Friday, October 1, in the activities program by the "Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month” by the Aurora Public Library from September 15 to October 15.

On this occasion, the attendees could enjoy traditional dances from south and center of Peru, started with the ancestral national dance of Peru, the Huayno “Valicha from Cusco”, then the Marinera Puneña with Huayñu and then on a trip to the jungle and central of Peru with the warrior dance Shapish of Chupaca from Junin.

The performances had the great honor of also presenting Peruvian music by multi-instrumentalist Hugo Gutierrez - global Andean artist and musical instrument craftsman.

Peruvian folk Dance Center wishes to thank all the attending public and those who were present virtually since it was broadcast live. We also want to thank the Aurora Public Library for having our cultural work and for making this event possible.

Valicha dance from Cusco Peru

Marinera from Puno Peru

Shapish de Chupaca dance from Junin Peru

Happy Cajon day - Origin of the Peruvian cajon


According to historians, the origin of the cajón was conceived by the oppressed slaves brought from Africa to Peru during the colonial era.

The drawer was born as an expressive need. The slaves that were sold in Peru were expressly prohibited from playing drums. In this way, the cajón was born as a product of the creativity of Afro-descendants, having transcended the prohibition of leather drums to maintain their rhythm and culture.

Origen del cajón peruano

Según historiadores, el origen del cajón fue gestado de mano de los oprimidos esclavos traídos de África a Perú durante la época colonial.

El cajón nació como una necesidad expresiva. Los esclavos que fueron vendidos en Perú tenían la prohibición expresa de no tocar tambores. De este modo, el cajón nace como producto de la creatividad de los afrodescendientes al haber trascendido la prohibición de los tambores de cuero para mantener su ritmo y su cultura.

The importance of the ancestral cultures


“In recent years there has been a lot of talk about the urgency and importance of preserving our environment. Pollution and reckless exploitation are certainly undermining the ecosystems' chances of natural recovery. However, globalization has brought with it strong cultural pressures that threaten to eradicate ancient cultures, customs and traditions.

Those cultures are as important and valuable as our environment. The different ways in which human beings have established relationships with the natural and social environment require our attention and are worthy of being cared for and preserved.

The cultural, patrimonial and historical heritage that we have allows us to understand ourselves better. But it is not just a matter of privileging the indigenous and rejecting the foreign. Understanding and enjoying our historical and cultural baggage will also allow us to better adapt to foreign cultural influences, making them enrich us rather than simply copying them without adding value.

Culture includes the way we express ourselves, language, the way we see and respond to things, our myths and beliefs, our knowledge about our natural and social environment, our gastronomy, tastes and customs. Giving up would leave us orphans of identity and we would lose an important part of our value as individuals.

More than protecting our cultural characteristics, the ideal is too reinforce and enhance them, to make them stronger in the face of external factors. This, again, does not mean that we should renounce different cultural influences, for we can do so without losing the essence of our culture.

In summary, just as it is important to preserve our tangible cultural heritage, it is equally important to preserve and promote our intangible cultural heritage. This will allow us to understand where we are in the world, where we are, and how we can contribute to enriching world culture and economy in the age of globalization”. We enrich the culture through cultures dance practice, they offer benefits, but the benefit of to know a culture through dance will change the view point of the participants



“En años recientes se ha estado hablando mucho sobre la urgencia y la importancia de preservar nuestro medio ambiente. La contaminación y la explotación desconsiderada ciertamente están socavando las posibilidades de recuperación natural de los ecosistemas. Sin embargo, la globalización ha traído consigo fuertes presiones culturales que amenazan con erradicar culturas, costumbres y tradiciones ancestrales.

Esas culturas son tan importantes y valiosas como nuestro medio ambiente. Las distintas maneras cómo los seres humanos han establecido relaciones con el entorno natural y social requieren nuestra atención y son dignas de ser cuidadas y preservadas.

El acervo cultural, patrimonial e histórico con el que contamos nos permite entendernos mejor a nosotros mismos. Pero no se trata sólo de privilegiar lo autóctono y rechazar lo foráneo. Entender y disfrutar de nuestro bagaje histórico y cultural también nos permitirá adaptarnos mejor a las influencias culturales extranjeras, haciendo que éstas nos enriquezcan en vez de simplemente copiarlas sin agregarles valor.

La cultura incluye la forma en la que nos expresamos, el lenguaje, el modo de ver y responder antes las cosas, nuestros mitos y creencias, nuestro conocimiento sobre nuestro entorno natural y social, nuestra gastronomía, gustos y costumbres. Renunciar a ello nos dejaría huérfanos de identidad y perderíamos una parte importante de nuestro valor como individuos.

Más que proteger nuestras características culturales, lo ideal es reforzarlas y potenciarlas, hacerlas más fuertes ante el embate de los factores externos. Esto, nuevamente, no significa que debamos renunciar a las influencias culturales diferentes, pues podemos hacerlo sin perder la esencia de nuestra cultura.

En resumen, así como es importante preservar nuestro patrimonio cultural material, es igualmente importante preservar y fomentar nuestro patrimonio cultural inmaterial. Esto nos permitirá entender qué lugar ocupamos en el mundo, en qué posición estamos y cómo podemos contribuir a enriquecer la cultura y la economía mundial en la era de la globalización”. Podemos enriquecer la cultura mediante las practicas de la danzas de las culturas las cuales ofrecen muchos beneficios, pero el beneficio de conocer a una cultura mediante la danza cambiara la forma de pensar de cualquier participant.


Reference: http://pmdq.com.ar/la-importancia-de-preservar-nuestra-cultura/