LA theater group heals through movements of dance to Celia Cruz

Los Angeles activist theater group Contra Timepo performed a dance to Celia Cruz’s famous song “Azucar” at the Ford Theater in order to integrate the power of her voice representing the Afro-Latino community. 

Contra Tiempo focuses on dance and music from ancestral traditions in order to stay grounded with their roots. The ancestral roots pertaining to salsa and Afro-Cuban traditional dances. 

Ana Maria Alvarez, the group’s founding director who is Cuban-American, emphasizes that it is important Contra Tiempo demonstrates transparency of their Latin roots and history, 

“Our work is really about building a future of more love and justice through the use of our ancestral technologies, of our dance forms and music forms, the forms that are rooted in our histories and where we come from, specifically Afro Latin ancestral technologies so salsa and Afro Cuban,” Alvarez said.

Jasmine Stanley, who has been with the group for five years, acknowledges that “Azucar” is the story Cruz created about the exploitation of harvesting sugar cane. By creating a dance to the iconic song, Contra Tiempo spreads the awareness of healing and moving forward by adding their own narrative through movements of dance. 

“It's been rooted in indigenous genocide and in the enslavement of Africans. And again, there's this way we shy away from that, (right). There is also this incredible anti Blackness inside of Latinidad.” Alvarez reflects on the complex and painful history of the Afro Latino Community for a proactive stance in addressing these issues to create a more equitable and inclusive future. 

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, Contra Tiempo uses, “The power of her voice, the power of claiming space. Her grito, “azucar” became really like a battle cry for belonging and for empowerment.” Alvarez exemplifies the enduring legacy of Latino culture and its profound influence on Art and activism and the ongoing struggle for social justice in the world today.