As part of its Hispanic / Latino Heritage Month events, Metropolitan Community College is presenting two in-person and online performances with Hispanic Flamenco Ballet. The events are free and open to the public in South Omaha Campus Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) building 120; visit the Hispanic / Latino Heritage Month website and scroll down to find the registration link for the event(s) you with to attend. Latin Iberian Show 10:30 a.m. - 11:35 a.m. is an immersive journey through the soul of Latin America and Spain. Commence with the captivating energy of Mexico, featuring pieces inspired by Frida Kahlo. Be enthralled by classic Spanish dances and the vibrancy of Brazilian samba. Experience the lively rhythm of Valencia’s Pasodoble and a stirring pop Latino musical medley. Feel the pulse of Spain through “Elementos”, a classic Spanish performance using abanicos (fans), manton (shawl), and castañuelas (castanets). Lose yourself in the passionate zapateado dance styles, and celebrate Puerto Rican culture with plena tambores and popular hits. The Arts & Dance Experience Noon-1:05 p.m. is an educational journey through the pulsating world of Latin and Spanish music and dance where audience members become part of the performance blending fun and education. Starting with a stirring blend of Latino-Flamenco rhythms, the performance then moves to ‘Suite Latina’, a vibrant showcase of legendary Latin songs. ‘Suite Española’ leads deeper into Spanish musical traditions, concluding with an exciting ‘Interactividad Musical’ – an opportunity to take part in a professionally choreographed dance. Standing distinct from the Latin Iberian show, ‘The Arts & Dance Experience’ places an emphasis on education, turning spectators into participants. Engage with the vibrant cultures of Latin America and Spain in an unprecedented way – learn, dance, and celebrate in a show where you become the star.
As part of its Hispanic / Latino Heritage Month events, Metropolitan Community College is presenting an in-person and online presentation with Javier Ávila. The event is free and open to the public in Elkhorn Valley Campus 114; online participation requires registration to receive a link. Standing Up is guided by the critical question, “When representation is scarce, where do we turn?” To address this question, Ávila relies on his signature style of blending storytelling with his original poetry—only this time, he offers his most personal reflection yet. Ávila recounts his journey from a boy learning to speak English in his native Puerto Rico to becoming an award-winning author, a beloved English professor, and the only Latino ever to be named Pennsylvania’s Professor of the Year. He invites audiences to consider the unlikely, overlooked elements needed to write one’s own narrative when grander, more visible alternatives seem out of reach. At its core, Standing Up is a heartwarming tribute to the power of education, family, and community. Javier Ávila is a professor of English as well as a poet, novelist, and public speaker. He writes in both English and Spanish, and his work has earned him numerous awards, including his most recent honor as the recipient of the Cultural Arts Award given by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. In 2015, he was named Pennsylvania’s Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation.
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Theatre and Playwriting Workshop: Deepening Your Creative Practice Through the Works of August Wilson (Read More)
In partnership with The Union for Contemporary Art, Metropolitan Community College and Great Plains Theatre Commons, the Omaha Community Playhouse is hosting a series of community events in conjunction with the opening of August Wilson’s Fences on the Hawks Mainstage Theatre. Three workshops led by Kim Louise, Dr. Khalid Y. Long, and Wali Jamal on theatre and playwriting will be held on the Metropolitan Community College campus in Building 22 on Saturday, January 21. The event is free, but registration is required. Chopped: The Playwright’s Edition, Kim Louise, Facilitator During this generative workshop, we will explore new ways to create plays by delving into mash ups with other literary and writing forms. We will write without boundaries and invent, for ourselves, unique recipes for constructing drama. Building on the premise that genre informs genre, our goal is not to eliminate but to elevate our writing by introducing a new practice or strengthening a current one. Call & Response: August Wilson Workshop, Khalid Long, PhD, Facilitator Taking their cue from Wilson and his four Bs, workshop attendees will creatively “respond” to an “artistic call.” In other words, they will explore the potential of various sources to inspire their creative imaginings. Using a piece of visual art or music as their inspiration, workshop attendees will produce a creative writing project in a timed session (the beginnings of a creative essay, a ten-minute play, a song, a short story, or a collection of poems, etc.). They will be responsible for briefly explaining the project to the group. This exercise aims to get workshop attendees to think deeply through practice about their artistic inspirations and callings. The August Wilson Artists’ Corner, Wali Jamal, Facilitator Wali Jamal, from Pittsburgh, PA is the only actor in the world to have appeared in all 11 of August Wilson’s works, the 10-play Century Cycle and the autobiographical show How I Learned What I Learned. Join Mr. Jamal for a compelling workshop to celebrate the work of August Wilson and to strengthen your skills as an actor, storyteller, and collaborator. Wali will share personal stories of his time working with August Wilson and dive into the dynamic pathways and strategies used to bring Wilson’s words to life. This workshop will leave the participants inspired and motivated to share their stories with the world. Dr. Khalid Y. Long is a scholar, dramaturg, and director specializing in African American/Black diasporic theatre, performance, and literature through the lenses of Black feminist/womanist thought, queer studies, and performance studies. Accordingly, his work pays close attention to the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality within marginalized and oppressed communities. Dr. Long has published scholarly essays in The Black Theatre Review (tBTR), Continuum: The Journal of African Diaspora Drama, Theatre and Performance, the Journal of American Drama and Theatre, and the Routledge Companion to African American Theatre and Performance. His forthcoming scholarship includes essays in The Cambridge Companion to African American Theatre (2nd edition) edited by Harvey Young, Zora Neale Hurston…
