CONTRA-TIEMPO Fights Injustice with Joy

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Photo credit: Steve Wylie

CONTRA-TIEMPO Urban Latin Dance Theater.

The words “joy” and “social justice” don’t often meet; the joy of, say, of a daughter’s successful piano recital and the hard work of fighting inequality might create a bit of cognitive dissonance. Yet that’s exactly what will happen on stage Nov. 16 at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Shebogyan.

CONTRA-TIEMPO, a Los Angeles-based urban Latin dance troupe, and the musicians of Las Cafeteras will present joyUS justUS, a work that celebrates the power of joy in battling inequalities of all sorts. The piece has earned rave reviews: “A joyous performance…comically explores the diversity of Salsa dancing, while also using the dance form to portray the thorny social and political issues facing Latinos in America today!” says New York magazine Backstage.

The musicians and the diverse mix of dancers all have ties to South Los Angeles, and together, they upend conventional notions of minority communities in the United States. Through joyUS justUS, the performers offer stories of hope, faith, family, and joy.  Their aim is to “create a new physical, visual and sonic vocabulary that collages Salsa, Afro-Cuban, hip-hop, and contemporary dance,” according to the troupe’s website. If that doesn’t sound joyous, well then, what does?

The evening contains three parts. At 7 p.m., CONTRA-TIEMPO Founding Artistic Director Ana Maria Alvarez will offer a free discussion of the piece and her work. The performance of joyUS justUS follows at 7:30 p.m. Afterwards, all are invited to a dance party.

For more information on and tickets to CONTRA-TIEMPO’s Nov. 16 performance at JMKAC, click here or phone 920-458-6144. Tickets are $15/$10 for JMKAC members. The Kohler Arts Center is at 608 New York Ave., Sheboygan.