Mexico y Su Costa De Oro October 6, 2007

GRANDEZA MEXICANA PRESENTS RICH DANCE TRADITIONS FROM MEXICO’S PACIFIC COAST
AT THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE OCTOBER 6

Los Angeles, CA – August 31, 2007 – Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company (“Grandeza Mexicana”) will present Mexico y Su Costa de Oro (Mexico and its Golden Coast), an evening of premieres and restagings exploring the colorful and rich dances of Mexico’s Pacific Coast on October 6 at 8:00 p.m. at the Ford Amphitheatre. The two-hour music and dance celebration will include some of Mexico’s most distinct dances from the regions of Sinaloa, Oaxaca, Jalisco, Guerrero, and Nayarit.

Mexico is a country of great cultural flavor, with dance influences from Spain and Western Europe, South America, Africa, regional indigenous tribes, and North American cultures. The Pacific Coast of Mexico, stretching from California to Guatemala, is no exception. Early trade routes from Spain and Chile brought Spanish influences to states such as Guerrero and Jalisco, while the indigenous Huichol tribes of Nayarit produced elaborate and mystical dance rituals. Dances from Sinaloa often draw upon the influences of its coastal plains along the Gulf of Baja California, and Oaxaca is home to the world-famous dance festival, La Guelaguetza.

Grandeza Mexicana’s interpretation of La Guelaguetza is the company’s most intricate choreography to date. Artistic director and founder Jose Vences leads Grandeza Mexicana’s ensemble of more than 40 dancers in recreating the cultural experience of La Guelaguetza, Oaxaca’s huge, centuries-old folk festival honoring the goddess of corn, for the stage. With the choreographic talents of consultant Isai Pazos and costume director Elias Roldan, Vences has developed a dazzling arrangement of striking costumes, authentic live Oaxacan music, and entertaining choreography. “It is a great honor and opportunity to present La Guelaguetza in this way to the audiences of Los Angeles. La Guelaguetza is known around the world as one of Mexico’s greatest cultural assets, and we have worked hard to produce a show that is entertaining and inspiring,” notes Vences.

In addition to the premiere of La Guelaguetza, Grandeza Mexicana will be showing for the first time dances from the gulf state of Sinaloa, and restaging award-nominated choreographies from the regions of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Guerrero.
Live music will be provided by the accomplished Grupo Cuicatlan ensemble, directed by Geraldo Palma and Sergio Alonso, and Yatzachi El Bajo, a traditional Oaxacan brass band.

Tickets, priced at $35 and $25 for adults and $5 full-time students and children, can be purchased at www.FordTheatres.org or by calling the Ford box office at (323) 461-3673.

The $5 tickets are made possible thanks to a grant from Target, sponsor of Target Dance Series at the Ford. Target strives to make the arts affordable and accessible to youth and families because the arts help foster an appreciation and understanding of various cultures and points of view. The Grandeza performance is theTarget Series finale.

ABOUT GRANDEZA
Grandeza Mexicana, a professional quality folk dance company founded by Jose Vences in 2003, has as its primary goal to present performances that inspire and educate audiences on the beauty and diversity of Mexico’s colorful dance traditions. Choreographies are developed through research on Mexican folk dance and culture; input from collaborating choreographers and historians; and by studying and appreciating the work of other artists. Though stylized, the work is drawn from authentic and indigenous dances created by communities across Mexico.

ABOUT THE FORD
The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, off the 101 Hollywood Freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios. The grounds open two hours before showtime for picnicking. The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request. On-site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle for evening shows and $1 per vehicle for morning family shows. For evening shows only, FREE non-stacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford, for evening amphitheatre performances only, is available at the Universal City Metro Station lot at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga. The shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the "kiss and ride" area. This event is part of the Ford Amphitheatre 2007 Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County- based arts organizations. For a complete season schedule, directions to the theater and parking info visit - www.fordtheatres.org.

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Official Website: http://www.grandezamexicana.com