This Week in Culture: Ballet Folklorico & ABISSA Showcase at Georgetown

Despite the snow on Healy lawn, spring has sprung in Georgetown. With the promise of warm—albeit wet—weather this weekend, two on-campus cultural organizations are seizing the opportunity to strut their stuff.

The events begin on Saturday at 3 p.m. Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Georgetown is a student-run organization that promotes traditional Mexican dance culture with one large event per semester. This spring they present La Plaza Hoya, a large festival to be held on Copley Lawn.

The lineup for La Plaza Hoya includes dances from two different regions of Mexico: Norte and Michoacan. According to Karine Milhomens (MSB ‘15), the Ballet Folklórico’s publicity director, “Norte dances are known for being sassy, energetic, and explosive, while Michoacan [dances] are more representative of ethnic roots and Spanish influence,” and often carry religious undertones. Also set to perform are the Dynami Greek Dancers, the on-campus Greek dancing group.

The free festival will also be host to a large row of booths, including a booth commemorating Dia de Los Muertos, where students can paint a skull made of sugar, a booth for Loteria, a favorite game among Mexican families that resembles Bingo, and a good old fashioned photo booth, where students can use various props to get in the Ballet Folklórico spirit.

The festival will run until about 6 p.m., leaving you enough time to enjoy the sunset on your walk to Lohrfink auditorium for ABISSA 2014, the annual showcase of the African Society of Georgetown.

The theme for ABISSA this year is “Africa Re-Envisioned,” which is about “changing the way people think of Africa” according to ASG’s community outreach chair Omorinsola Ajayi (NHS ‘16). The festival’s goal is to demonstrate how traditional African practice has influenced modern culture.

The festival’s main event, performances of traditional African dance, will be complemented by performances by Resonant Essence Live, Vivan Ojo, and the University of Maryland’s Afrochique dance team. ABISSA also boasts a large fashion show that will display clothing from many different established and up-and-coming designers.