joyUS justUS
Joy is the ultimate expression of resistance in this outdoor, dance theatre experience.
21/22 Hop PresentsBased on the personal truths about the power of hope, faith and family, joyUS justUS changes the dominant narrative about people of color from being voiceless and powerless to embodying stories of joy. Created by Los Angeles-based CONTRA-TIEMPO, the piece is an example of the activist dance theatre company's approach to community building and facilitating dialogue through an invigorating blend of physically intense and politically astute performance work. Join us for three electrifying live performances happening at the Bema Outdoor Amphitheater, ensconced in the summer's greenery.
Audience members are invited to bring an offering, a picture, a special object, a flower, a rock, a note/message/name—it can be anything that feels like an honoring your ancestors, an acknowledgment of our connection, an expression of hope, grief, collective resistance or anything that is an offering from your heart. These objects will be used to build two physical altars that will be a part of the performance. Please bring items that you are ok to leave. As part of this performance, some audience members will be given gerbera daisies.
Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.
Photo by Steve Wylie
About CONTRA-TIEMPO
CONTRA-TIEMPO is a Los Angeles-based Activist Dance Theater company founded and directed by Ana Maria Alvarez. For over 15 years, the company has been dedicated to transforming the world through dance. Through their unique and dynamic dance-theater work, both on and off stage, CONTRA-TIEMPO builds community, facilitates dialogue, and moves us to imagine what is possible in the world.
About Ana Maria Alvarez
Ana Maria Alvarez, a 2020 Doris Duke Artist and an inaugural Dance/USA Artist Fellow, is a prolific choreographer, skilled dancer, masterful teaching artist, and movement activist who has achieved multiple accolades for her dynamic works. Her thesis work exploring the abstraction of Latin dance, specifically Salsa, as a way to express social resistance as related to the U.S. immigration battle, became the impetus for founding CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater in 2005 in Los Angeles. Her work has been presented in theaters across the country and the world, including in Germany, Bulgaria, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile.
Resources
Download the CONTRA-TIEMPO Playbill 
Contact Us
Box Office
Box Office Summer Hours:
Tuesday-Friday: 2-5 pm
Open one hour prior to all ticketed events.
There will be extended hours 12-5 pm Tuesday-Friday from July 9-26 for the Live Season On Sale.
Visiting Information
Located in College Park, a wooded and grass-covered area on the eastern edge of campus.
