Authentic Mexican dance group at Qns. Theatre 
 BY TAMMY SCILEPPI 
 Life got you down? Every  
 now and then, do you feel like  
 kicking up your heels and  
 kicking back a little instead of  
 worrying about the future? 
 Then get your tickets to  
 an authentic Mexican dance  
 performance  at  Queens  
 Theatre … and get happy.  
 Mexican dance is no  
 longer a way to appease the  
 Mayan and Aztec gods. These  
 dancers  will  be  celebrating  
 life, folklore and an important  
 event when Calpulli Mexican  
 Dance Company debuts its  
 first historical work April 13  
 and 14.  
 “Puebla: The Story of Cinco  
 de Mayo,” celebrates the people  
 and cultures of Puebla, Mexico.  
 Like  pieces  of  art  that  are  
 perfectly woven together, the  
 show  combines  the  rhythm  
 of the music and the vibrant  
 colors of the dancers’ clothing  
 into a memorable event. Close  
 your eyes and you may feel as if  
 you’re sipping Mexican coffee  
 in  a  tiny  café  with  Mariachi  
 music playing in the square. 
 Historical events helped  
 shape Mexican dance into  
 what  it  is  today,  and  “Puebla”  
 is Calpulli’s first production  
 depicting the chronological  
 events of the battle in Puebla,  
 as well as the connections to the  
 U.S. and NYC.   
 Juan  Castaño,  managing  
 director and co-founder of the  
 East Elmhurst-based dance  
 company, believes a lot of  
 Americans could benefit from  
 learning more about what  
 makes May 5 so significant in  
 Mexico.   
 “Cinco  de  Mayo  is  a  very  
 commercial celebration in the  
 United States, much larger  
 than in Mexico itself. We want  
 to add more substance and  
 history  to  this  cross-cultural  
 opportunity,” he explained. 
 While it’s not Mexico’s  
 equivalent  to  the  Fourth  of  
 July, it does mark a turning  
 point in the  country’s history  
 and the last time a country in  
 the Americas was invaded by  
 a foreign army.  
 “Symbolically, it’s the story  
 of the underdog, the victory  
 by a small group of Mexican  
 soldiers  and  commoners  
 over the French army — the  
 strongest military force of the  
 time — in the Mexican state  
 The  Calpulli  Dance  Company  will  perform  at  Queens  Theatre  on  
 April 13-14.                   Photo by Julieta Cervantes 
 of  Puebla  on  May  5,  1862,”  
 Castaño noted. 
 Alberto Lopez Herrera,  
 Calpulli’s artistic director and  
 co-founder, comes from a small  
 town  in  the  south  of  Puebla  
 called San Antonio Chiltepec.  
 He and Castaño started their  
 company  in  2003  and  have  
 lived in Jackson Heights,  
 Jamaica and East Elmhurst  
 across 30 years. 
 “This story and show is  
 an opportunity that I have  
 to share my point of view on  
 my home as a child with the  
 community I have in NYC,”  
 Herrera said. 
 “Growing  up  in  Mexico,  
 the Battle of Puebla and Cinco  
 de Mayo was celebrated with  
 parades and lessons in school.  
 In the USA, I saw from a young  
 age that it was much larger,  
 and I was surprised by this.  
 With this story, I would like to  
 make Poblanas  and Poblanos,  
 the people of Puebla, proud  
 of their culture and proud of  
 their story.” 
 Calpulli is about celebrating  
 the rich diversity of Mexican  
 and  Mexican-American  
 cultural  heritage  through  
 dance and live music.  
 “We  do  that  through  
 performances  by  our  touring  
 company,  arts-in-education  
 enrichment  programming  
 and  free  or  low-cost  activities  
 that  target  the  underserved  
 Mexican and Mexican- 
 American  communities,”  
 Castaño noted. 
 The  show  will  feature  
 new works by Lopez and  
 commissions by former artistic  
 director  Noemy  Hernandez,  
 whose works fuse folkloric  
 dance and contemporary  
 movement. There will also  
 be  new  pieces  by Grisel  Pren  
 Monje, who is originally from  
 Cancun, and now works as the  
 company’s rehearsal director.  
 Describing  American  vs.  
 Mexican  cultural  values,  he  
 said,  “I  think  there  are  far  
 more  things  that  we  have  in  
 common  than  are  different,  
 to be honest. However, I think  
 one difference is how folkloric  
 art is instilled in Mexicans at  
 a very young age and perhaps  
 explains  why  we  cherish  
 these  traditions  so  much  
 as adults.”  
 2 Dinners & 1 Bottle of Wine  
 FOR ONLY $29.98 
  
 Choice of: Barefoot Merlot, Santa Marina Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay 
 Tues. & Wed. $1195 
 16 oz. Black Angus Certified  
 Shell Steak 
 Served with Salad, Vegetable,  
 Potato with Purchase of 2  
 Cocktails, 2 Wines or 2 Beers  
 Among Our Daily Specials,  
  ($23.95) 
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    All dinners served with Salad,  
    Potato & Vegetables or Pasta 
 We Feature Quality  
 and Value! 
  
 or Bell & Evans Chicken. 
  
 Meat Are from  
 Pat LaFreida Meats. 
  
  
 Sun. Brunch $1195 
 Served 12 - 4 pm 
 Served with Fresh Fruit,  
 Entrée, Coffee &  
 Choice of Bloody Mary, 
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 Enjoy 
 Happy Hour 4-6 pm Monday  
 thru Thursday at Bar Only 
 Hamburger Platter and 
 2 Domestic Bottle Beers $10 
 214-22 41st Avenue, Bayside, NY 11361718-224-9898 
 36     TIMESLEDGER, APR. 5-11, 2019 QNS.COM 
 
				
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