Dancing Joyously for Justice
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Ana María Álvarez calls herself an “artivist,” a term that describes her passion for art and drive to influence positive social change. As head of UC San Diego’s dance area in the Department of Theatre and Dance, she is expanding the notion of dance as a tool for imagining new futures. “Art has the capacity to shift worlds and redefine narratives,” said Álvarez.
Over the past two decades, Álvarez has choreographed rousing performances through her CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater, which explores topics such as oppression, immigration, colonization and food justice through a fusion of Salsa, Afro-Cuban and contemporary styles of dance. Most recently, the company performed one of their newest works, ¡azúcar!, at the Epstein Family Amphitheater as part of ArtPower’s dynamic roster. ¡Azúcar! examines the history of sugar, from its role in propelling colonization to its present toxic overabundance.
“I am impressed by how Álvarez consistently reinvents the performance stage as a place of ritual and community building that celebrates the power of joy while tackling injustice,” shared Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Cristina Della Coletta. “Our artist practitioners, like Álvarez, are telling stories about the human experience in ways that add meaning to our existence and creatively shape brighter futures.”
Projects such as ¡azúcar! are developed over a period of several years through research and community input. “I love being in a university space and thinking about research as something beyond writing a book,” said Álvarez. “As an artist, my research is multifaceted. Some of it is connected to writing, but a huge part of it is building community and embodied practice.”
At the start, Álvarez becomes immersed in reading, conducting interviews and watching films. When the key issues are distilled, she brings together her company members in the studio to learn choreography, improvise and shape the performance. They then together engage with community members and hold choreographic labs to hear stories and feedback from those who have directly experienced the ideas she wants to convey. After, they return to the studio to deepen and solidify the work, which is toured for several years.
While touring, Álvarez invites local dancers to join the performance. UC San Diego undergraduate student Vrisika Chauhan had the opportunity to be part of the community cast of ¡azúcar! “It was truly a very beautiful experience to see what it’s like to work with a professional company and build relationships,” she shared. “To describe the process, it was healing. It was liberation. It was learning about our ancestry, diving deep. It was not just a dance; it was so much deeper.”
Chauhan enrolled in the first class Álvarez taught after joining the School of Arts and Humanities faculty in 2023. Since then, she declared dance as a major in addition to clinical psychology. “Her class changed my life,” said Chauhan. “I didn’t know what I was capable of. I had never felt so connected to any of my classmates before my first class with her. She’s been an inspiration and a role model for me.”
The community cast of ¡azúcar!, including Vrisika Chauhan (fourth from the left).
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