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Campus Life

Contra-Tiempo Storms Campus

Inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and Oya, the Afro-Cuban deity of wind and storms, choreographer Ana Maria Alvarez harnesses her unique urban-Latin movement approach to create a visually stunning and thought-provoking evening of dance. Tickets are available now for the April 9 performance of the dance company Contra-Tiempo, set to begin at 8 p.m. in Stewart Theatre.

Agua Furiosa, Contra-Tiempo’s newest work, merges call and response, a live vocalist, fierce physicality and the performers’ own personal multicultural narratives. Audiences will walk away from Agua Furiosa inspired to locate themselves inside the complex and transforming conversation of race in America.

Contra-Tiempo is a bold, multilingual Los Angeles-based dance company dedicated to transforming the world through dance while building community, facilitating dialogue and moving audiences to imagine what is possible. Their work is rooted in Salsa and Afro-Cuban movement and draws from hip-hop, urban dance and contemporary dance theatre. The dancers create an invigorating blend of physically intense and socially astute performance that pushes the boundaries of Latin dance as an expressive cultural and contemporary form.

There will be a post-performance conversation with the artists.

The dance company will also participate in a number of student-centered activities on campus, including:

Thursday, April 7

  • 5 to 6:15 p.m.
    Rumba / Salsa / Step Workshop
    Sube Ritmo (NC State’s Latin Dance team) and Contra-Tiempo dancers will host a dance workshop on the Stafford Commons outside the Talley Student Union. No experience needed.
  • 6:30 to 8 p.m.
    Choreographic Lab Workshop
    Panoramic Dance Project, Just Cuz Crew, Fusion Dance Crew, and DanceVisions participate in this workshop focusing on social justice issues on campus and in the community.

Friday, April 8

  • 3 to 4:30 p.m.
    What’s on the Table?
    Every Friday, the African American Cultural Center hosts an open discussion of issues on the minds of students. Ana Maria Alvarez, founder and artistic director of Contra-Tiempo, will join in the discussion.

The Stewart Theatre performance on April 9 is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.