Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrates its golden anniversary
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The annual springtime festivities on the National Mall bring us the circus this year, along with performances and demonstrations that reflect on the nation’s collective immigrant experience.
Aerialists and acrobats performing daring stunts, lively shows by equilibrists and object manipulators, heartwarming performances by clowns—visitors will find all this and more under a big top tent at the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival opening tomorrow.
Since 1967, the Festival has shared and celebrated cultures from around the world. For its 50th anniversary, the theme is “Circus Arts”. The event organizers seek to represent the colorful diversity of circus arts with both big-top performances and behind-the-scenes demonstrations by experts showing the science of circus acts. You can also get a peek into circus life and culinary arts at the Festival Cookhouse, and through conversations with scholars who study the circus arts.
“On the Move: Migration Across Generations,” the festival’s secondary theme this year, includes a series of performances and conversations about youth, culture, and migration. It explores “how American culture has been shaped by the movement of people to and within the United States.” Many Latino artists and activists will take part, including several well-known local performers. The programming is supported in part by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Visitors to the festival can experience the diversity of Latino culture. They may marvel at alfombra de aserrín, decorative patterns of colorful sawdust traditionally created in Central America to celebrate both religious and secular holidays. The public may join a story circle to learn about the history of Puerto Rican citizenship; hear about the experiences of Trans Latina activists; or celebrate the artistic and cultural contributions of Salvadorans in Washington D.C. Folklife Festival attendees may witness a caporal performance by Caporales Unidos, a local afro-Bolivian dance troupe that seeks to introduce audiences to the dance that originates in the Yungas region of Bolivia.
Local artists MASPAZ and Cita Sadeli, as known as CHELOVE, bring their creative flare to the On the Move gateways, “box truck,” and banners. The two will collaborate with another local talent, DJ VicoVibez, also known as Victor H. Chacon Jr., on July 1 and 2.
The festival, which takes place June 29 through July 4 and July 6 through 9 on the National Mall, is hosted by the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The performances, demonstrations, workshops, and conversations involve participants from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
Some event highlights include:
July 1, 2017, 1:15 pm, Story Circle
Los Trienta: Thirty Years of Salvadorans in DC Through Music and Poetry
Hosted in a story circle format, Los Trienta features writer/poet Quique Avilés and DJ Mezcla. Both are D.C.-based social justice advocates and community-builders. According to the Smithsonian, “Los Treinta explores the thirty-plus-year presence of Salvadorans in the nation’s capital.”
July 1, 2:45 pm, Story Circle
Los Pleneros de la 21: Reflecting on 100 Years of U.S. Citizenship for Puerto Rico
NEA National Heritage Fellow Juan Gutiérrez and his daughter Julia Gutiérrez dialogue about the relationship between Puerto Rican music and Puerto Rican identity within the United States; they also discuss music of the African Diaspora and other Latin American musical traditions. The session is presented by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
July 2, 2:00 pm, Story Circle
Two Generations of Collaborative Theater: LatiNegro & Paso Nuevo
In this conversation, Latino thespians and theater-lovers from different generations share their experiences on and behind the stage. They seek to observe what has changed over generations of Washington, D.C.-based Latino theater, as well as what strategies and techniques remain the same.
July 6 and July 7 July 8
Alfombra de Aserrín
As a part of the Open Air Studios that feature daily ongoing demonstrations, visitors can witness the creation of a traditional Central American alfombra de aserrín, or sawdust carpet. The Washington-area lead artists Ubaldo Sánchez and Vinicio Cabrera have designed a piece inspired by the On the Move program theme of migration.
UPDATE: The alfombra de aserrín has been moved to Saturday, July 8, due to rain forecast for tomorrow and Friday. Stay tuned to Hola Cultura and we’ll bring you more information on the time of activities, as we receive them.
July 7, 11:45 am, Story Circle; Friday, July 7, 2:00 pm, Story Circle and Festival site
Caporales Unidos: Bolivian Festival Tradition Processeion
Corporales Unidos is a D.C.-based dance troupe that performs the traditional carporal dance form. The Smithsonian notes that “this dance acknowledges the African slave experience of Bolivia, and honors Afro-Bolivian identity and cultural expressions.”
July 7, 12:30 pm, Story Circle
Trans Latina Stories: Resistance in the Nation’s Capital
During this Story Circle conversation, three Central American transgender activists discuss intersections of identity, immigration, and resilience.
July 7, 4:30 pm
Grupo Folkórico Raíces Hondureñas USA
This performance features a DC-based Honduran dance troupe that dances to share and celebrate Honduran culture and values.
—Pavithra Suresh
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