From Feb. 18-22, Quad City Area elementary students will learn more about the cultural roots and legends of Mexico during a residency with theatre ensemble Mexico Beyond Mariachi, the 11th ensemble in residence through Quad City Arts Visiting Artist Series.
Mexico Beyond Mariachi is an ensemble of professional teaching artists, musicians and dancers whose love of the traditions, festivals and richness of life in Mexico shines bright in every performance. The group is comprised of performers from different cultural backgrounds as well as first- and second-generation Mexicans.
Their show, “Trekking Mexico,” dives into both ancient and contemporary folk traditions, taking audiences on a historical and geographical journey through Mexican music and dance. From the drums of Tenochtitlan to the jaranas of Veracruz, and the jungles of Tabasco to the mountains of Guerrero, this multimedia show whisks the audience away on a joyful ride.
The full-length public performance of “Trekking Mexico” will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Galvin Fine Arts Center at St. Ambrose University, Davenport. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for faculty and senior citizens, and $10 for children. Tickets are available online at http://www.sau.edu/mexico-beyond-mariachi or call 563-333-6251.
Mexico Beyond Mariachi was created 15 years ago to address the needs of NYC communities to know more about traditional Mexican performance culture beyond the stereotype. Responding to that need, MBM created an in-depth school performance and arts-in-education program that has reached over 100,000 students in over 250 schools and community venues on the East Coast.
The 2019-2020 Visiting Artist Series brings 14 artists and ensembles, including a hip-hop dance ensemble, an electronic music producer, a Mexican folk-rock group, and string quartets, to visit the Quad Cities region from September 2019 through April 2020. For more information on these artists and details of their performances, visit www.quadcityarts.com/vas.