All workshops are $20 each and includes material fees. Maximum capacity for each workshop is 20 people.

Please RSVP to estela@milagro.org

Little Moves, Cuban dance
Saturday, May 13, 2017 from 1:00-3:00 PM

Salsa, rumba, conga, son, mambo, salsa, songo, timba, guaguancó, are part of the many genres of Cuban music. This rich musical culture enlightens our lives with its sounds and as we move to its rhythms. Bring your little ones to this workshop where they will explore Cuban rhythms through movement, jump to the beats and have a wonderful joyful time!

Past workshop: Day of the Dead Nichos
Tuesday, October 18, 2016  from 5:30-8:30 PM

Nichos come from a long Latin American tradition to frame a single event and help us express our believes, wishes or dreams. They often include spiritual, cultural and religious imagery. Although started as a religious expression, it later evolved to incorporate the syncretic cultural expressions that were developed in America, such as Day of the Dead, which commemorates those loved ones who have passed. In this workshop, you will build a nicho, decorate with mix media and experiment with the imagery of Day of the Dead to create your own singular nicho.

Past workshop: Winter Season Corn Husk Ornaments
Monday, December 5, 2016 from 6:00-8:00 PM

In the cosmogony of some indigenous groups, corn is the element that sustains the world and the essence of all creation. Many native cultures around the world share this connection with this malleable element full of texture and beauty. Corn husks have been used for centuries for ornamental purposes. In this workshop we will learn how to use the material and create a variety of decorations for your Winter Season celebrations.

Past workshop: Fantastical Creatures, Paper Mache Alebrijes
Tuesday, February 14, 2017 from 6:00-8:00 PM (Part 1)
AND
Tuesday, February 21, 2017 from 6:00-8:00 PM (Part 2)

Alebrijes are brightly colored fantastical sculptures. They often depict a combination of animal, human and fantastical beings. Alebrijes originated in the turn of the 20th century in Mexico out of a lifelong tradition of “Cartonería”, known as the Mexican papier-mâché. You will be able to design, build your structure and decorate it in this 2-session workshop. Come ready to bring life to those fantastical beings that you have had dreams about!

Past workshop: Huichol Traditional Yarn Painting
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 from 5:30-8:30 PM

The Hichol people, or Wixarrika, as they auto-denominate, are a native group from the region that now encompasses Durango, Zacatecas, Jalisco and Nayarit in México. They have a long tradition of creating bead, yarn and carved art. Although initially for ceremonial purposes, they now commercialize them, allowing us to enjoy and learn from their design, colors and symbolic significance. In this workshop, each participant will create its own Huichol-inspired yarn paint, following the yarn and wax technique.

About Nelda Reyes:

Nelda Reyes, a native of Mexico City, is a professional performer and educator and has specialized in physical theatre and Latin American and Mexican cultural expressions, including crafts, language, folk dance and music, specifically those of Mexico, Spain and the Caribbean. Nelda is a performer and co-creator of Leyendas de Mexico- Legends of Mexico, an educational touring program based on pre-Columbian tales, and she is a founding member of Nuestro Canto, a group dedicated to the preservation of Mexican art and culture through arts education.

Since 2008, she has been facilitating workshops and touring the Pacific Northwest collaborating with libraries, K-12 schools, and universities and has been member of the Multnomah County and Washington County library systems and Miracle Theatre Group, Profile Theatre, Latino Network educational programs rosters.

Nelda studied with the Moscow Art Theatre School Institute of Harvard University, as well as with Maestro Luis de Tavira and Teatro Línea de Sombra and University of Guadalajara Theatre Company and received her Master’s Degree in Theatre from Portland State University. Nelda has the honor to be a member of Board of Directors at The Circus Project, a social circus organization in Portland, Oregon. Nelda also serves as a Multicultural Evaluation Advisor in the Studio to School Initiative Evaluation Advisory Group at The Oregon Community Foundation, Board Advisor for the Instituto de Cultura Oregoniana (Salem), the Outreach Committee for the Northwest Association of Professional Performers (APP) and the Northwest Regional Latino Theatre Alliance, supporting efforts to enlarge the visibility of artists of minority communities.