As Ramona Esparza-Stoffregan’s body danced through the spotlights, all eyes were on the quick turns of her body and her red shoes clacking musically against the ground. If this were a typical flamenco performance, a live guitarist would accompany her. However, this was no typical routine. The dancer, dressed in all black except those bright red shoes, grabbed the hand of a woman painted like a skeleton and pulled her to the dance floor. Soon, they were joined by a belly dancer and two people dressed to fit in at the Renaissance Fair. The impromptu troupe danced as the recorded track faded out, smiling, twirling and laughing – a celebration of life on a night dedicated to the dead.
El Día de los Muertos, known in English as ‘the Day of the Dead’ or ‘All Soul’s Day,’ is a holiday centered around remembering and praying for deceased friends and family. Typically celebrated on November 1 and 2, local artist Esperanza and Project N.O.I.S.E. organized this October 9 party at the Club Aruba to start the celebration early. The event brought dancers, musicians, painters, hula-hoopers and mourners together for a night of festive entertainment and reflection on death.
Esparza-Stoffregan’s dedicated her performance to Jose Serratore, the guitarist from her company, the American Flamenco Theatre, who died in 2002 of cancer. “Normally, the guitar follows the dance,” Esparza-Stoffregan explains. “When he died, he was a missing link in our troupe. I was reluctant (to do this performance at first) because you typically use live music, but that track was his music, so it was appropriate for his legacy.”
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