Cross-Network Connect: Latinidad in Dance

Join Dance/USA for a Cross-Network Connect celebrating Latinidad in dance. Panelists David Herrera, Gabriel Mata, Vanessa Hernández Cruz, and Wilfredo Rivera will discuss the contributions Latine dance artists have made to the field in the United States and the challenges they continue to face, including visibility, access to funding, and the work of sustaining practices rooted in culture, community, and lived experience. Come ready to engage, ask questions, and connect with colleagues across the nation who are invested in a more inclusive and equitable future for dance.

Meet the Panelists

David Herrera is a San Francisco–based choreographer and producer. He founded David Herrera Performance Company in 2007 in response to the lack of Latinx visibility and representation, and leads the national network Latinx Hispanic Dancers United along with LatinXtensions, a yearlong mentorship program for emerging Latinx/e dance artists. 

Gabriel Mata is a D.C.-based Mexican American choreographer and educator who founded and directs the annual Latinx Movement Festival. 

Vanessa Hernández Cruz is a Chicana disabled dance artist and accessibility and disability justice consultant, and a current New England Foundation for the Arts National Dance Project recipient. 

Wilfredo Rivera was born in Honduras and is a director, choreographer, and arts leader who serves as Artistic Director & CEO of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre and as Musical Theater Program Coordinator at Columbia College Chicago. 

Wednesday, October 28 | 3 pm EST | Via Zoom