fundamentals, including the principles of leading and following, improvising in pairs, groups, and small learning communities. For younger students we work with concepts of independence, dependence and interdependence - exploring these concepts physically. In our technical workshops and residencies we pull from the Rueda (Cuban Salsa) and work with students around concepts of 'compassionate partnering' and movement metaphor. In our choreographic workshops, students will create movement studies designed to engage and push audiences to explore new ideas about dance partnering and working as community.
Core Competencies
Communication, Critical Thinking and Information Competency, Problem-Solving, Global Awareness, Personal Responsibility and Professional Development, Physical Wellness, Health and Nutrition
CONTRA-TIEMPO Urban Latin Dance Theater: Arts Education Reel from Ana Maria Alvarez on Vimeo
You can choose one or both of our current touring pieces:
AGAINST THE TIMES. This piece has been toured all over Latin America and continues to be the company's signature work where the term Urban Latin Dance Theater was originally created! Salsa is a dance form that is rooted in Cuban and Puerto Rican cultural tradition. It is laden with social and political contradictions; a dance of resistance. Salsa is an improvisational form that is created and recreated with every new combination of people that dance it; a dance of change. Born from the fusion of African and Spanish musical influences, it was originally created as a cultural voice and form of expression for working class people; a dance of the times. Salsa has always been a patriarchal dance form, in that men are leaders and women are followers. In more recent times, the over the top, disempowering representations of women have gotten more extreme, especially in styles that have been popularized by ballroom dancing and Hollywood films. The cast of contra-tiempo will flip the script on who leads who... Together they will move resistance from being adversarial to being the fundamental key for communication and empowerment between partners and for a people. (This piece is appropriate for all ages)
"I Dream America" is a 40-minute movement opera, which primarily seeks to engage the tensions, commonalities, strains and histories between the Black and Latino communities. Traversing the political landscape of immigration and Hurricane Katrina, "I Dream America" will investigate compassion and peace and paint a disarming and thought-provoking critique of contemporary life and injustice. (This piece is appropriate for Middle School and High School audiences)
"Full Still Hungry" is the company's newest work exploring the politics of food and consumption in our culture. Artistic director Ana Maria Alvarez says “'Food is not just the material I put in my body to sustain life — but a web of relationships, histories, choices, decisions that all impact the world around us.” These complexities are brought to life through the company's unique fusion of Salsa, Afro-Cuban and contemporary dance theater. With an original sound score composed by Cesar Alvarez, live musical performances by world renowned percussionist Bobby Matos, poetry, stunning visuals and delicious movement, FULL.STILL.HUNGRY serves up a blend of both physical intensity with invigorating contemplation. The evening will also include collaborative guest performances by the all women a cappella chorus, Vox Femina, and by CONTRA-TIEMPO's pre-professional youth company, CONTRA-TIEMPO Futuro.
Contact Ana Maria Alvarez at info@contra-tiempo.org for dates, prices and availability.
“What an incredible sight to see over 300 teenagers completely engaged for over and hour and a half! The choreography was brilliant, the dancing was incredible and your interaction with the students was exemplary.” - Emily Mahon, Skirball Cultural Center
“Your pieces were provocative and an interruption of expectations regarding dance. As an immigrant myself, and a student of immigration themes, visions and communities, I am deeply grateful for your work.” – Jacqueline Barrios Ramirez, 11th Grade Teacher
"The artist has the ability to take the viewer out of our comfort zone by experimenting with the unexpected and in this case it's the choreographer….The choreographer plays with our emotion causing us feel an array of feelings: compassion, disappointment, angry, fear….Ana Maria Alvarez uses the "give and take" motion of salsa, the symbolism of a rope, and over aggression leading to chaos to show the determination of a group all trying to reach the same goal." Excerpt from Explication Essay, 16 years old.
" The most "American" aspect of the play was the diversity! There were so many cultures, heritages, and elasticities entwined with each other, and that is what America really is: diverse. colorful." -Post performance comment, X.M., 16 years old.
“what you guys did today just changed my perspective on dancing and overall the world. I have to say its the best thing i've ever seen, thank you!” – J.M. 14 year old
Elementary School Program
Middle School Program
Our master classes have been taught all over the world, and continue to be a way for us to share our work and our creative process more intimately with students of all ages and levels. We have shared our master classes with professional dancers in Cuba, with senior citizens in Culver City, with college students in Decatur, GA, and hundreds of community members of all ages in the Bronx, among others. We cater our workshops and master to the needs and interests of each unique learning community. In all of our teaching work we use Salsa, Afro-Cuban, Hip Hop technique and dance fundamentals, including the principles of leading and following, improvising in pairs, groups, and small learning communities. We pull from the Rueda (Cuban Salsa) and work with students around concepts of 'compassionate partnering' and movement metaphor. In our choreographic workshops, students will create movement studies designed to engage and push audiences to explore new ideas about dance partnering and working as community. Our work will leave participants inspired, productive, engaged, communicating better and with barriers broken down!
CONTRA-TIEMPO master classes and workshops are designed to:
• Inspire participants to engage fully with one another
• Break down barriers to create a more open organization/community
• Align to a common goal, mission or vision.
• Improve Communications through accurate feedback and the positive use of resistance
• Accelerate Productivity by motivating staff and getting them to listen to each physically
• Local classes by CT Artists
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• For PRIVATE LESSONS please contact Ana Maria at info@contra-tiempo.org
After School Musical Theater with CONTRA-TIEMPO at UCLA Lab School
 
In September 2010 UCLA Lab School will begin working with CONTRA-TIEMPO to provide an after-school musical theater program. The founding Artistic Director of CONTRA-TIEMPO, Ana Maria Alvarez, has worked as UCLA Lab School's Dance Specialist for the past seven years. The program will be taught by two company teaching artists, Ashlee Katrice Thomas and Michael Butler, who will deliver inspiring performances that are aligned with the school's mission and vision.
REGISTER NOW!s
Wednesdays: EC & Primary (5-8yrs old)
Monday: Intermediate & Upper (8-11yrs old) (8yrs old must be approved by instructor)
2:45-4:45 pm
$250 per session or $400 for both. Space is limited so register early!
Session A starts: October 6th (1st semester performances January 25th at 9:15 am and 6:30 pm)
Session B starts: Monday, February 20th and Wedneday, February 22th (2nd semester performances April 13th and April 14th)
(each family will receive two tickets to each performance)
Download a registration form HERE and then e-mail your completed form to admin@contra-tiempo.org
We encourage payment by check to avoid online payment processing fees.
Please send checks to:
CONTRA-TIEMPO
P.O. Box 360465
Los Angeles, CA 90036
For online payment, click HERE
(Note: If you choose to pay online, please be aware that there is an additional processing fee.)
You will be directed to Network For Good.
Please enter either a 'contribution amount' of either $250 for one session or $400 for both sessions.
Please make sure to write "UCLA Lab" in the subject line.
The Summer Arts Academy is four weeks of intensive dance, theater arts, visual arts and percussion workshops, directed by Ana Maria Alvarez and taught by all of the CONTRA-TIEMPO company members. The Summer Arts Academy is catered towards young artists: Ages 6-8, 9-11 and 12-13. Our young performers will also participate in workshops that focus on infusing dance with theater, percussion and visual arts. This year we will have one session only, and will culminate in a performance by our young CONTRA-TIEMPO stars! The students will visit a local cultural site as part of their study of the arts.
Space is limited so register early!
Click HERE to see a video of our 2010 classes and performances!
Contra-Tiempo Summer Arts Academy from Ana Maria Alvarez on Vimeo.
CONTRA-TIEMPO Summer Arts Academy Dates:
July 9th - August 3rd, 2012 (4 weeks, with a culminating performance on August 2nd)
Three groups: Ages: 6-8, 9-11 and 12-13 yrs old
The price is $395/week or $1000/session (for all for weeks)
SAVE $50: Register for the full session andpay in full by May 1st
SAVE $50: Refer another family who resisters for the full session!
Summer Arts Academy will be at:
New Roads Campus
3131 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A SCHEDULE OF LAST YEAR'S CONTRA-TIEMPO'S SUMMER ARTS ACADEMY
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A REGISTRATION FORM
Send all payments (checks made out to CONTRA-TIEMPO) and completed registration forms to:
CONTRA-TIEMPO
Re: Summer Arts Academy
P.O. Box 360465
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Or, pay online here and email your completed registration form to admin@contra-tiempo.org
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CONTRA-TIEMPO Futuro Summer Dance Intensive is a rigorous two week dance program for teens and young adults. Designed for young dancers interested in pursuing a professional dance career, the intensive will be taught by CONTRA-TIEMPO members. The two weeks will culminate in a performance open to the public and an opportunity to auditon for CONTRA-TIEMPO Futuro (CONTRA-TIEMPO''s pre-prefossional youth company). All levels of experience are welcome! Register early!
August 6th-17th, M-F 8:00am-3:00pm
Ages: 14 and up
The price is $700
Scholarships to cover tuition and transportation assistance are available.
Awards range from 50%-75% off which would make the tuition between $350-$175.
Scholarships are still available - APPLY NOW!
LAST YEAR CONTRA-TIEMPO Futuro was located at:
Highways Performance Space and Gallery
18th Street Arts Complex
1651 18th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
We will confirm this year's location in the spring 2012
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A REGISTRATION FORM
Send all payments (checks made out to CONTRA-TIEMPO) and completed registration forms to:
CONTRA-TIEMPO
Re: CONTRA-TIEMPO Futuro
P.O. Box 360465
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Or, pay online here and email your completed registration form to marina@contra-tiempo.org
Our third annual Cultural Exchange Delegation to Cuba (August 18th- August 30th, 2012) will bring artists and educators from the US to study intensively with renowned Cuban dancers and musicians. Participants will have the unique opportunity to engage in dialogues with cultural activists and gain a deeper understanding of Cuban culture and artistic practice.
Delegates will work hands on with one of Cuba's most world renowned dance companies, Ballet Foklorico Cutumba in Santiago de Cuba and study with serveral renowned artists in La Habana at the National School of Dance. Particpants will take daily master classes with amazing Cuban Master artists and with CONTRA-TIEMPO company members in Rumba, Afro-Cuba Foklorico (Gaga, Macuta etc), Casino, Rueda and Salsa on the CONTRA-TIEMPO, Son and Cuban Contemporary Dance. We are organizing the tour though GLOBAL EXCHANGE (http://www.globalexchange.org), whose mission is to empower locally and connect globally to create a just and sustainable world. Global Exchange takes a holistic approach to creating change. With 20 years working for international human rights, they realize that in order to advance social, environmental and economic justice we must transform the global economy from profit centered to people centered, from currency to community.
The trip costs $3875 (plus airfare to Miami), which includes nearly EVERYTHING - all travel, legal visas, hotel, two meals a day, translator, master classes etc. It doesn't include tipping. (If you register and PAY IN FULL by March 1st you will save $125)
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: If you register and pay in full by March 1st you will save $125 The trip is first come first serve. It is very possible that the trip will be closed (filled to capacity) before that. It is important to get your application and deposit in immediately to reserve your spot!
DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT: All payments and paperwork must be completed by June 22, 2012. Again first come first serve - get your application and deposit in soon!
Contact richie@contra-tiempo.org NOW for more information about CONTRA-TIEMPO's 2012 delegation to CUBA
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