July in Costa Rica Affords Plenty of Reasons to Dance

Typical Dancers
Children Preform a Typical Dance Routine in Liberia, Guanacaste.

It seems that each week, San José fills up with a new activity: gallo pinto consumption en masse, 9-day long book extravaganzas, international art festivals, and a whole host of smaller events designed to please any art or culture lover. Now, dance lovers will share in Costa Rican cultural offerings, as July brings breakdancing competitions, international dance routines, urban dance, and beautiful folkloric compositions to both San José and the country’s smaller towns.

Many of the upcoming activities and festivities are part of three of the National Dance Company’s (CMD) most important projects: the Mudanzas (Movements) conference, the Central American Meeting of Urban Dance (Ecadu), and the National Dance Festival. Yesterday, on June 24, the month’s planned activities were announced at a press conference, at which the Minister of Culture, Maria Elena Carballo, the director of the Teatro Popular Melico Salazar, Lina Barrantes, and the director of the Compañía Nacional de Danza, Humberto Canessa, were present.

The fourth edition of the always-popular Mudanzas: Jornadas de reflexión y crítica sobre la danza (Days of Reflexion and Criticism about Dance) will begin on July 21, running through the end of the month. This year, performances will benefit from the talents of Ângels Margarit (Cataluña), Nada Diachenko (USA), Denis Fujiwara (Japan), and Marianela Boan (Cuba). It will be performed at different locations, like the Taller Nacional de Danza, la Escuela de Danza de la Universidad Nacional, and the Danza Universitaria de la Universidad de Costa Rica. In addition to their usual performances, the dancers will also give technical demonstrations of their specialities.

Also this year, Mudanzas will invite the National Dance Company of El Salvador to Costa Rica. The sister company will perform their ópera prima, La consagración de la primavera (first work, The consecration of spring), which will take a tour of Alajuela, San Carlos, and Puntarenas.

In addition to several other Mudanza-related dance performances, taking place all over the country by both Costa Rican and foreign artists, the Liberia Expo will also be alive with activity, including the traditional, folkloric dancing that is typical to many Costa Rican celebrations. These festivities are meant to celebrate the annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua, observed on July 25. However, the Chamber of Livestock Farmers is concerned about the festival’s permits, which have not yet been approved. However, it is likely that necessary paperwork will be signed, and the traditional celebrations and beautiful dancing will take place as per usual.

July’s schedule is full of celebration and dance, sure to please anyone even passingly interested in the art of movement. Check the National Theatre and Teatro Popular Melico Salazar for updated schedules, and be sure to read local papers’s Weekend sections for Costa Rica News about weekly events.

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