San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, proudly presents a new dance commission for its 2018-19 season featuring hip-hop dance company Culture Shock Los Angeles.
Culture Shock is re-shaping one of its foundational performance pieces, Which-A-Way, for Casa Romantica’s unique venue. Which-A-Way follows the adventures of a young hero through a fantastical land inspired by Dr. Suess’s classic story Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. The story is told through classic street dance, hip-hop and narration with approximately 20 dancers. Patrons will be seated around an elevated stage/catwalk in the center of its historic outdoor Casa Courtyard. This has never been done before at Casa Romantica.
“Casa Romantica is committed to sharing cutting-edge dance performances in new and unique ways,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika D. Palys. “Hip-hop as an art form and as a form of expression is central to the dance genre today. Now, one of the West Coast’s top companies will deliver an unforgettable experience at our cultural institution.”
The performance is meant to appeal to adults, young adults, and children, keeping with Casa Romantica’s mission to make cultural arts accessible to people of all ages.
About Culture Shock Los Angeles
Culture Shock Los Angeles is a nonprofit dance and arts education organization that utilizes hip-hop and urban dance culture to cultivate meaningful education, enrichment and entertainment programs to inspire positive community changes.
Founded in 1994, the group is a diverse collective of dancers brought together to exchange ideas, share their passion for dance, and work towards a common goal of serving the community and making dance accessible to everyone. The organization is dedicated to providing instruction in a variety of urban dance forms; educating the public on the history of the hip-hop culture through workshops in urban art forms related to dance, music, poetry, and visual arts; and showcasing different dance and art forms through public performances, schools assemblies, and community events.
Culture Shock LA strives to highlight the positive attributes of the hip-hop culture by teaching social skills, leadership traits, a positive work ethic, teamwork, and self-respect alongside training in performing arts fundamentals.
Culture Shock LA works to further its mission by using the talents of its company members and its deep-rooted interest in the community to establish meaningful youth programs and outreach events in the Los Angeles area; by educating its dancers, students and audiences on the history of Hip-Hop, its cultural relevance, and its relation to other art forms; and by challenging its dancers with diverse and inventive performance pieces.
If you go: Casa Kinetic: Culture Shock Los Angeles happens on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 7:00 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM and parking is free. Tickets are $30 general admission and $25 for Casa Romantica members. Complimentary refreshments and a cash bar for wine will be onsite; no outside food or beverages are permitted. Tickets are available online at CasaRomantica.org/Calendar, by telephone at (949) 498-2139, or in person at the administrative offices during public hours.
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. Under the leadership of Executive Director Berenika D. Palys, Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including 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), The Beauty of the Butterfly (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Carrie Lee Riggins (2016; contemporary dance), Casa Drama: Slings & Arrows (2015; theater), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2018-19 Casa Captivating season includes more music, visual and performing arts commissions, and an enhanced wellness program.
“Casa Romantica strives to be the epicenter for innovative artistic experiences in our southern California community,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika D. Palys.
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 2,000 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 non-profit 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 11 am—4 pm; Friday—Sunday 10am—2pm; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
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