to the stage as stars in their own community and present the final work in different community events. Winter Program Dances Description: Maculelé (Brazil) There were two tribes in Brazil. One day, during an attack, a young boy named "Maculelé" picked up a pair of sticks and fought off the other tribe. The other tribe never attacked again. His home tribe then made a mock combat dance using sticks and named the dance "Maculelé" in his honor and memory. Mapalé (Colombia) The dance was introduced in Colombia by African slaves brought in ships by the Spanish; the slaves came mainly from Angola. The music is a fast rhythm of cumbia music and the movements are based on the Mapalé fish movements when it was out of the water. Zaracundé (Panamá) The Panamanian dance depicted the story of “Mama Grande” ( Big Mama ) fleeing from their masters who they feel mistreated by them. While escaping she carries her children. We would like to thank all of our dancers and volunteers and look forward to growing, bringing the program to more community organizations, recreation centers and suburban communities through weekly classes and more public performances. Our programs are offered to all children and families, transcending barriers of language, culture, physical and cognitive challenges. Children learn to work together and develop personal standards of excellence, a pride of achievement, and a curiosity about the Latin American world. “Africa En America Latina” winter semester: Fundamentals of Dance and Performance: students learn the story behind the dance, the fundamentals of Latin America music and the Africa Diaspora and theatrical makeup. They also learn the value of team work, the importance of discipline and effort. Students also expand their critical and creative thinking skills as their dance skills develop. Curricular theme: Students learn about their heritage and how dance and music create meaning, building community and moving audience as they work toward a common performance goal. The program introduces students, volunteers and the entire community to new culture, engages them and encourages curiosity about the world and their place in it. Final Performance, every quarter the program team create original pieces of choreography inspired by the curricular theme. Students master and perform these dances in a fully-realized theatrical production. Over the course of the program, students become dancers, taking Africa en America Latina 2013-2014 Winter Project Community Participation Picture from Black History Month at Gantt Community Center Special points of interest: • The majority of participants in the Avenue D program Latin American educational series come from low- income families. • Avenue D dancers represent a diverse population: approximately 40% iden- tify as Hispanic or Latino; 50% as African American; and 10% as Cauca- sian. • Quarterly the program impacts over 7,000 people including public school students, their parents, teachers and local communities through classes, assemblies, residencies and perform- ances. • This program is a partnership between Avenue D Community Center, Grupo Cultural Latinos En Rochester and IADC Project HOPE. • Accomplishment: Creation of the Avenue D Afro-Latinos Dance group; 10 new dancers were recruited and trained; 12 volunteers were recruited for program support; Artistic Makeup class for volunteers. February 2014 Volume 1, Issue 1 by Evelyn Cassano AT AVENUE D COMMUNITY CENTER, ROCHESTER NY Educational Series About Latin America 2014 Black History Month Celebra- tion at ABC Early Head Start Black 2014 Valentines Day Celebration with Seniors Ave A Community 2014 Supporting UPAC Praise Dance Group! At RAPA Theater 2013 Kwanzaa family day at Memorial Art Gallery 2013 Kwanzaa Celebration at Rochester Museum & Science Center 2014 Black History Month family day at Memorial Art Gallery 2014 Black History Month at Gantt Community Center 2014 Black History Celebration Avenue D Community Center