Press Releases
Summary: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a historic home and cultural center in south Orange County, celebrates the
hip hop cultural art form with performances and dance classes this spring. The headlining act for the event series, called The People’s Poetry: Contemporary Dance and Music, is a dance performance by Culture Shock Los Angeles.
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, announces a series of performances and dance classes that celebrate the cultural art form of hip hop in southern California. These events are part of Casa Romantica’s brand new Connections programming, which curates a variety of events around a specific theme. The
People’s Poetry: Contemporary Dance and Music theme takes place in the month of April and includes a beginner’s hip hop dance class, a live hip hop music concert, and a hip hop dance performance at Casa Romantica.
“There’s a lot about hip hop culture, especially the culture that has developed in southern California over the past 40 years, that most people don’t know about,” says Amy Behrens, Executive Director of Casa Romantica. “In fact, the reason it’s so fascinating is because it’s an art form that embodies fusion – it’s been adopted by diverse cultural communities who find that hip hop dance and music is a meaningful way to connect with one another.”
“That’s what Casa Romantica’s mission is all about; connecting people through arts, culture, history and education,” she added. “The events in this series are meant to appeal to adults, young adults, and children alike, so they can learn and have fun together.”
Headlining The People’s Poetry is a dance performance from Culture Shock Los Angeles, a nonprofit dance and arts education organization that uses Hip Hop and urban dance culture to educate, enrich, and entertain the communities they serve. They previously performed at Casa Romantica in 2019, and have performed around Los Angeles at the Annenberg Space for Photography,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Hollywood Bowl.
“Culture Shock Los Angeles is thrilled and honored to be returning to Casa Romantica. This historic venue provides a truly unique and beautiful backdrop to our performances, inspiring us to approach our work through a different lens,” says Allison Tanaka, Executive Director of Culture Shock Los Angeles.
Event Lineup
Casa Arts Education: Beginning Hip Hop Dance 101
Every Tuesday for four weeks from April 12 – May 3, 2022 @ 6 PM | General $80; Casa Romantica Members $60 (all four weeks)
Description: Learn the basics of hip hop dance with Casa Romantica’s Director of Program and Marketing Kylie Travis in this four week session. Kylie Travis was a former competitive dance instructor and continues to teach dance at Casa Romantica for weekly Ballet classes and annual Summer Dance Workshop for children.
Casa Vibes: Nomis the Just
Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 7 PM | Cover charge $12
Description: Hip hop musician, composer, and emcee ‘Nomis the Just’ (Aaron Simon) returns to Casa Romantica after a virtual concert premiere in 2021. Based in Oceanside, CA, Nomis the Just uses his spoken word art and music to inspire others. He has performed his music globally in support of anti-human trafficking causes and was featured in an NBC-produced docuseries on the
subject. Concert takes place outdoors on Casa Romantica’s Ocean Terrace.
Casa Kinetic: Culture Shock Los Angeles
Thursday, April 28, 2022 @ 7 PM | General $40; Casa Romantica Members $35
Description: Returning to Casa Romantica after a sold-out show in 2019, Culture Shock Los Angeles is back with a family-friendly hip hop dance performance. The audience will travel on an indoor/outdoor route through the house and gardens as dancers showcase the artistry and athleticism of hip hop dance at several stops. Expect to see a number of different styles and moves, developed by several cultural communities over the past 40 years.
Tickets are available now for all The People’s Poetry: Contemporary Dance and Music events at CasaRomantica.org/Hip-Hop-Culture or call at (949) 498-2139 for reservations.
About Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature for all ages. Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Classic: Opera Through the Seasons (2021; site-specific commission), Casa Kinetic: Tango Romantica (2021; dance), Open Casa: Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? (2020; visual art), Casa Coastal: Murals of Levi Ponce (2019; visual art), Casa Theater: The Odd-Essy (2019; theater), Casa Kinetic: Culture Shock LA Hip Hop (2019; dance); Casa Coastal: The Art of Baja California (2018; visual art), Casa Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018; theater), Casa Kinetic: Celebrating Tap Dance Legends (2018; dance), Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Contemporary Dance Collective (2017; contemporary dance), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2020-21 Casa Captivating season includes an expanded dance (Casa Kinetic), theater (Casa Theater), and concert series (Casa Vibes), visual and performing arts commissions, and an expanded Casa Kids education program.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s annual Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy has received critical praise for its comprehensive two-week music studies program in cello, piano, viola, and violin. Casa Romantica also offers a Summer Dance Workshop, a Spring Break Arts Week, various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12, and welcomes over 6,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.
Mission Statement: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente. Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier Southern California cultural center.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is located at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. Hours: Tuesday—Thursday 10 am—4 pm; Friday—Sunday 10am—2pm; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members, active military with ID, and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
