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Intertwining past and present: 'Sacred Journeys V' brings together music, dance with Indigenous influences
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鈥沦acred Journeys V鈥� combines classical and contemporary dance with eclectic music of Grammy Award-winning Taos Pueblo musician Robert Mirabal.
The performance takes place Friday, Oct. 18, through Sunday, Oct. 20, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
鈥沦acred Journeys V鈥� meshes the rich and diverse culture of New Mexico.
Intertwining past and present: 'Sacred Journeys V' brings together music, dance with Indigenous influences
Mirabal collaborated with Patricia Dickinson Wells, artistic director for Festival Ballet Albuquerque, and New York City Ballet dancer Jock Soto (Navajo/Puerto Rican), who is originally from Gallup, for 鈥沦acred Journeys V.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 so fascinating because he makes his own flutes, he makes his own drums, he writes the music, he writes the spoken word,鈥� Dickinson Wells said of Mirabal. 鈥淗e speaks in both English and his native Tiwa. He tells stories (during the performance) and then he turns around from this incredible, beautiful flute piece and gives you a killer rock 鈥檔鈥� roll anthem of sorts, 鈥楴avajo Fires.鈥欌��
鈥沦acred Journeys V鈥� continues with the song 鈥�1000 Miles,鈥� about a soldier being far away from home. One of Mirabal鈥檚 most famous songs, 鈥淭he Dance,鈥� also is part of the performance.
Another Mirabal song that is included in the production is 鈥淟ittle Indians,鈥� a touching piece about the high suicide rate of children on the pueblo.
鈥� 鈥楲ittle Indians鈥� actually (features) some of our younger dancers, where we take (Mirabal鈥檚) words and translate them through American Sign Language with movement. So it鈥檚 his words, the music, sign language and dance.鈥�
The concept of the performance was Dickinson Wells鈥� vision. She said she had already selected some songs for the show when she met Soto, who had been a New York City Ballet dancer for more than two decades.
鈥淗e was an icon, an amazing performer,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e traveled all over the world and he had retired to Eagle Nest, (New Mexico). But I actually met him at a dance conference before, but then I found out he was living here in New Mexico, so I invited him to come down and teach in a workshop. We just hit it off like beyond crazy. He was aware of Robert鈥檚 music, so I invited him to be one of the choreographers.鈥�
Other contributors to 鈥沦acred Journeys V鈥� include native New Mexican Dominic Guerra; internationally known Vladimir Conde-Reche, a native of S茫o Paulo, Brazil; Alex Ossadnik of East Germany; and the Trujillo Family, traditional Native American dancers.
鈥淎lex added a new song, 鈥楶ainted Cave,鈥欌�� Dickinson Wells said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just a lot of songs. It鈥檚 really good. Each choreographer has a segment. We have a basic costume and then we change the overlay for the different choreographer sections. It starts with my four works, and it finishes with Jock鈥檚 five works, and then we have the big finale with everybody, including Native traditional dancers that we have on stage with Robert, as we鈥檙e changing, and they鈥檙e just beautiful. They鈥檙e so beautiful in their Native regalia, traditional regalia.鈥�
Mirabal is dedicated to preserving the centuries-old customs of Taos Pueblo and is an advocate of world music. His work merges Africa, Asia and the Caribbean music with Indigenous American sounds.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a renaissance man, he鈥檚 an artist, he鈥檚 an actor, he鈥檚 a musician,鈥� Dickinson Wells said. 鈥淗e makes moccasins by hand. He has developed wines from chokeberries on his family land and his grandmother鈥檚 land. He just does everything. He鈥檚 traveled so much throughout the world and really immersed himself in all these different cultures. And I think there鈥檚 no way it couldn鈥檛 have rubbed off on in some way and had an influence in his music.鈥�
