Year: 2020/2021
DanceForce Member: Margarita Espada
Artists: Ivette Chiclana, Amed Irrizary, Rosa Lina Lima, Gloria Llompart
Community Partners: Firehouse Gallery; Latina Moms; Pronto of Long Island; Radio La Fiesta; Suffolk Community College; Teatro Rodante Hispanico
Audience: 615
County: Suffolk

The dancer Rosa Lina Lima participated in an artistic residency where she explored the question What do we have when we have “nothing”? She facilitated several workshops using Contact Improvisation techniques and created the final piece “Contingecia”. Due to the pandemic that we have been experiencing since March 2020, this project produced remotely on the Zoom, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube platforms. The Rosa Lina dance workshops were very well received, especially due to the need that the community had during the lockdown we had during 2020.

Gloria Llompart facilitated professional workshops. We also had a discussion called “Brave Stage: Decolonization of bodies on the scene.”
In addition to the dancers Rosa Lina Lima and Glora Llompart, we had the collaboration of the ethnographer Dr. Ivette Chiclana and the young dancers of the Rodante Hispanico Theater.Included in the planning process was Legislator Samuel Gonzales’ office, Suffolk County Office Executive Office – new partners in the project. Also collaboration with sound engineer Amed Irrizarry, Suffolk County Community College, and Latina Moms. Residency time: March to December 2020. 10 workshops March 27, April 7,14,21,28, May 4, 12,19.
Presentation: December 19, Forum and community conversation with artist: December 18.

The population served was 90% Afro Latinx. Also, due to the project being remote, we had a new international audience from Puerto Rico, Spain and Mexico. The promotion was via Facebook / Instagram, paid advertisements, website, and for the first time we collaborated with the Radio La Fiesta station as well as local written press.