DANCING HOME Comes to San Francisco Youth Theatre in August

San Francisco Youth Theatre will present the world premiere theatrical production of Dancing Home, the story of two young cousins who navigate the tensions between recent and established immigrants and discover the bonds that transcend their differences. This Spanish-bilingual family show features beautiful folklorico dance, puppetry and object theatre. Dancing Home reveals the challenges and gifts of being a new immigrant: becoming part of something new while staying true to who you are. The production is in the midst of a two-year tour through local schools and libraries throughout California.
 

Adapted and Directed by Dyana Díaz, with choreography from Pablo Jimenez Garcia, and performed in English and Spanish by SFYT’s professional DREAM Ensemble, the show will be featured at the San Francisco Fringe Festival for three dates in August.  Tickets are available at The Fringe’s ticketing site. 

Margie and Lupe are fifth-grade cousins who face a year of discovery when Lupe enters Margie’s life. Margie is proud to be born in the United States. Her family is from Mexico as is her cousin, Lupe, who arrives in California for the first time to live with her. As Lupe struggles with a new country and language, Margie is conflicted about helping Lupe adjust to her new home. The cousins’ relationship becomes turbulent as Margie is faced with questions about her own heritage and identity while Lupe learns of her father who left the family in Mexico years before. Side by side, through a shared love of folklorico dancing, Margie and Lupe find their own way to belong.

San Francisco Youth Theatre (SFYT) transforms youth and communities through accessible opportunities in theatre arts creation, education and performance. designed to foster personal growth and create lasting social impact. Founded in 2014 by Executive Director Emily Klion, SFYT offers year-round classes, performance ensembles, and touring productions for young audiences. SFYT’s DREAM Ensemble is a professional touring company of emerging artists, 18-25 years old.  www.sfyouththeatre.org

Dancing Home Adapter & Director Dyana Díaz is SFYT’s Director of Spanish-Bilingual Education. Originally from Puerto Rico, she earned her B.A. in Performing Arts for the Theatrical Expression at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, in 2012 where she co-founded Colectivo Transeúnte a theatre group dedicated to the creation of performances for young audiences. Dyana came to San Francisco in 2017 and joined SFYT. She is a company member of La Lengua Teatro en Español. Dancing Home is the first book that Dyana read in English, and is thrilled to share her inspiration with the students she teaches.

Alma Flor Ada has devoted her life to advocacy for peace by promoting a pedagogy oriented to personal realization and social justice. Alma Flor’s numerous children’s books of poetry, narrative, folklore and non-fiction have received prestigious awards; among many: Christopher Medal, Pura Belpré Medal (Under the Royal Palms), Once Upon a World (Gathering the Sun), Parents’ Choice Honor (Dear Peter Rabbit), NCSS and CBC Notable Book (My Name is María Isabel), International Latino Book Award (Love, Amalia; Dancing Home, and Yes! We Are Latinos) Marta Salotti Gold Medal (Encaje de piedra). In 2012, she received the Virginia Hamilton Award in recognition of her body of work for children. In 2014, the Mexican Government honored her with the prestigious OHTLI Award for her services to the Mexican communities in the United States. www.almaflorada.com

Gabriel M. Zubizarreta draws from his experiences of raising his three wonderful daughters in his writing. He hopes his books will encourage young people to author their own destinies. He co-authored Love, Amalia and Dancing Home with his mother, Alma Flor Ada.

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