Delaware State of the Arts Podcast
Delaware State of the Arts is a weekly podcast that presents interviews with arts organizations and leaders who contribute to the cultural vibrancy of communities throughout Delaware. Delaware State of the Arts is provided as a service of the Division of the Arts, in partnership with NEWSRADIO 1450 WILM and 1410 WDOV.
Delaware State of the Arts Podcast
S12 E46: Delaware State of the Arts - Hispanic American Association of Delaware
Unlock the cultural richness and transformative power of art with Estefania, the dynamic new executive director of the Hispanic American Association of Delaware (HAD). Estefania shares her compelling vision of empowering Latino families through art and culture, revealing the heartbeat of community programs that celebrate heritage and foster belonging. From the vibrant Folkloric Ballet that educates and entertains with traditional Mexican dances to the inclusive nature of HAD's initiatives, listeners will gain insight into how these artistic expressions become a thriving source of pride and connection.
Join the conversation as we explore the profound impact of HAD's diverse offerings, like the spirited Fiesta en el Jardin and the therapeutic Amarte initiative. Learn how these programs not only enhance cultural pride but also promote healing and empathy within the community. With an exciting array of year-round events, including the much-anticipated Day of the Dead festival, Estefania's leadership promises to keep the spirit of unity and celebration alive. Don't miss out on this opportunity to discover how art can empower and unite communities in remarkable ways.
The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Learn more at Arts.Delaware.Gov.
Delaware State of the Arts is a weekly podcast that presents interviews with arts organizations and leaders who contribute to the cultural vibrancy of communities throughout Delaware. Delaware State of the Arts is provided as a service of the Division of the Arts, in partnership with NEWSRADIO 1450 WILM and 1410 WDOV.
For Delaware State of the Arts. I'm Quinn Kirkpatrick. The Hispanic American Association, located in Wilmington, was founded with the goal of helping Latino families in Delaware thrive. One of the ways they do that is through art. Today you'll hear from their new executive director, who shares details on some of HAD's recent performances in the community and explains why art plays such a big role in achieving their organization's mission.
Speaker 2:My name is Estefania and I am the new executive director at the Hispanic American Association of Delaware, and I do a little bit of everything.
Speaker 1:So what is your mission over at the Hispanic American Association?
Speaker 2:providing wellness, educational and community support. We also forge strong collaborations through grants and organizations that connect with underserved communities to vital local resources and service providers. Like I said, we emphasize a lot on the Hispanic and Latino communities to ensure that our approaches are culturally relevant and sensitive. All of the staff here at HATIT are I don't want to say all of it, but most of it is first-time immigrants. So we can all relate, including myself. We can all relate to the communities that we are serving and ultimately, at the end, we just want to help them build a brighter future. We don't want to hand everything to them, but we want to empower them and help them grow and thrive so they can be successful.
Speaker 2:So how do you think arts and culture play a role in helping Hispanic and Latino Delawareans thrive Well it creates a sense of belonging, first of all, and through the programs that we offer, which is Valle Fulgorico, and we had at some point tropical dances. So we do focus a lot on dancing because of the wellness and the overall impact that it has on a person's well-being, so it helps them stay connected to the roots, to their heritage. For example, at the Palafolgórico we have two separate classes, one for children and one for adults, and so the adults help the children, kind of stay connected, kind of not forget about their background, and although they're not born in their parents' countries, and although they're not born in their parents' countries, they can still feel like they belong to that community and that culture.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. Could you actually tell me a little bit more about the Folkloric Ballet?
Speaker 2:Mexico. Lindo is this vibrant dance group dedicated to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Mexico, specifically Mexico, through traditional dance, and this is traditional dance. We don't really dance like this. We don't use the garments that we use for presentations. This is a traditional dance, though presentations. This is a traditional dance, though, and our performances are not only to entertain, but it also educates audiences about the diverse customs and histories that shape our cultural identity, and, by participating in community events and festivals, we foster appreciation for Hispanic culture and we put pride in our roots while performing and promoting cultural exchange and understanding.
Speaker 1:And so you're a part of this group? Yes, I am. Would you mind sharing what it has been like to be a part of this group? Just your personal experience, maybe some of the highlights, some of the things that you've gotten out of it definitely the sense of belonging.
Speaker 2:Uh, and it's just the way I describe Alepho Córico it's it's a large group and we're very united, and I love dancing, so it's like a combination of all the things that I love in in one group and the experience has been phenomenal. I love dancing and just spending time with them and practice and our instructor, which is Aurora Collin. She's very patient, she has a form of teaching that it's very simple but you can understand easily, and she's very passionate about what she does. So definitely she has been a great help, not just for me but for the whole group. And then going out to this event schools and just having them ask us questions about oh, where's this dance from? Because it is, but we do have nine regions, so every state has its own custom, its own like steps, and it's just me. It was also a learning experience, because I knew they existed but I was not sure which one belonged to what. Because I knew they existed but I was not sure which one belonged to what. So it's just been a great experience for me.
Speaker 1:That sounds so cool. And the fact that you've been smiling the whole time you've been talking about this that just speaks volumes. That's just so amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we invite everyone. You know, you don't have to be Mexican, you don't have to be a specific age. We actually have toddlers, like we have two groups. Like I said, it's one for adults and one for children, but the children ones has to be divided in two groups because there's so many and we have little kids. I want to say I think the youngest is two or three, and then our oldest participant is eight, in her 70s I'm not sure the correct age, but she's in her 70s. So this is like an old age, literally, and every background. We've had people from Argentina, we've had people from here in the United States who have no Hispanic background, who have joined and they've stayed and they have also learned a lot from us and a lot of Spanish.
Speaker 1:That's just amazing, and I believe that you have a Day of the Dead festival coming up very soon. Is this an event that HAD puts on so?
Speaker 2:this is an event in collaboration with Mon Cuba, cuba, and had they collaborate to create this Dia de los Muertos event, which also we did it strategically to be towards the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, so it's kind of a combination of both things, and so we do this annually. This is going to be third or fourth year, I cannot remember and obviously dance plays a central role in this festival, with performances from our folkloric dance group, which is the highlight of the event. But we also have a Hispanic festival cannot be a Hispanic festival without music. So we do have live music. We have a mariachi that plays and we do like an immersion of mariachi and the folkloric dance. They play two or three songs and we dance to the mariachi music, usually from the state of Jalisco, which is where mariachi originates from. And then, in addition to that, we usually have crafts.
Speaker 2:We ask people if this is optional, but if they want to, they can put on a catrina or sugar skull mask or makeup. We do have a person who does, who paints faces. It's it's more towards children, but but I've seen some adults do it. I do it all the time. It's fine, it's a fun thing to do and it's for all ages, all backgrounds. It's just for us to again showcase our culture and connect with other communities. We want to make this diverse.
Speaker 1:So you mentioned that dance is a really big part of it, music is a really big part of it. Are there any other forms of art that are incorporated into this festival?
Speaker 2:Oh yes. So in Dia de los Muertos we put on an altar an offering we call it ofrenda which is basically putting on a picture of your loved ones who have passed away, and we also incorporate their favorite foods, some water if they like, tequila, salt and decorations like sugar skulls and other very bright and colorful decorations. So that's also one other thing. And some years we've had an artist come in and I don't know how to explain this in English, but it's kind of like a carpet made out of sand. She did one time a Katrina, and Katrina is a sugar skull, and she did that with sand, so like different color sands, and she did it. It's not a carpet I don't know what it's called, but it looks like a carpet made out of sand.
Speaker 1:I feel like I can picture it and it sounds really cool and it's just something that we do also in Mexico.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it's out of sand, Acerrin, which is I don't know how to say that in English, but it's like wood, like colored wood or also with flowers. We do it with flowers, so it's like different materials that you can use, but ultimately it's just a carpet and it's very beautiful. I've seen a lot of videos from other states in Mexico and they're huge. This is a smaller version of that. I've also seen it. I think they did one in at the Delaware Art Museum last year and that's like one of the things that we do that is art related.
Speaker 1:That sounds so cool and I feel like I, of the things that we do that is art related. That sounds so cool and I feel like I'm picturing it correctly, but it also just sounds like something that would be amazing to see in person. And switching gears here a little bit and you already spoke on this throughout our conversation but how do you think that art helps somebody build a sense of pride in their culture and in their community?
Speaker 2:So art is definitely a powerful tool for building pride in a person's culture and community. It has been for me and through participation, for example, and for dance and other cultural expressions, feel connected to their in this case their Mexican culture. Or they had some comments you know, because you're not born in Mexico, you're not Hispanic, and blah, blah, blah. But them being in that group dancing those songs, it gave them a sense of belonging. I belong to this community, I belong to these songs, to these dances, and it just gives them also self-worth and reinforces their self-identity and community connection. Some were isolated, they felt some type of way, but this group helped them and we take a lot of pride in that because we're like, if we, if we change the life of one kid and in this case it was multiple kids it makes us feel like this is worth it, like we're donating our time Aurora donates her time and it's just worth it at the end. But when people share their culture through art, it creates opportunities for understanding and appreciation, fostering pride with both individuals and their communities.
Speaker 1:And do you have a favorite way that you engage in art, whether that's through music, dance, painting, anything you?
Speaker 2:engage in art, whether that's through music, dance, painting, anything. I enjoy all forms of art, but it definitely, definitely, definitely dance, for me personally, is my, you know, my favorite kind of art, my favorite kind of art is definitely dance. I'm also a sumo instructor, so, and I've danced my whole life. I cannot remember a time where I went to a party and I did not dance, even if it was not Hispanic. I, I've. If there's music, I'll be dancing, and I I asked my friends to join in all the crazy dancing things that I do. I always involve my friends, my community, because this is a fun way to exercise, to stay in a group, to, like I said, stay connected to your roots, your heritage. It's all in one for me, just dancing. And all kinds of dancing, not just folkloric, I enjoy. We had at some point, like I said, tropical dancing, which it was actually funded by the Division of Art, Thank you. And we dance bachata, which is from Dominican Republic. We dance merengue, we dance salsa, which is very popular. All kinds of dancing, I just love it, I love it.
Speaker 2:And at some point we also collaborated with the Indian American Association of Delaware and we did a presentation there for for Zumba that time, but we stayed because they were dancing. I think it was Bollywood and it was just so. It's like I saw us reflected in them, but in their own culture and heritage. And I took my sister with me that time and she was like, oh, I go to school with that girl and I'm like it's crazy how you're involved here at the Hispanic American Association of Delaware and she's in her own organization and we are here together, like this brought us together. Dancing brought us together. And it just blows my mind every time, because I've had so many experiences similar to that one where I'm like wow, like it's amazing, honestly.
Speaker 1:That is amazing. That just sounds like such a beautiful moment to be able to experience. That's awesome. Now, are there any other programs or events that you'd like to share from your organization?
Speaker 2:Besides Fiesta en el Jardin, I always invite people to our classes. We also offer Zumba here. So we have Zumba every day, monday to Friday, 9 am to 10 am, and then Monday through Friday, 7 pm through 8 pm, and then monday through friday, uh 7 pm through 8 pm and then our folkloric dancing group, the adult group, we practice every tuesday at garfield recreational center not just garfield park and for children is every thursday there's a class at five and then one at six, and all of this is free thanks to our instructors who donate their time, and not always. Sometimes we do have grants and we're always looking for grants and organizations. Who wants to donate, but we do have that and we also had at some point this club.
Speaker 2:It's called amarte and it's a a game of words amarte, amar it's to love they, and but amarte is to love yourself, right? So this, this is a group um where adults could heal their inner child or their inner traumas, their inner selves, through art. So we had a person who guided them and talked to them and kind of helped them heal and like look back without them hurting. And it was amazing we had, we were very successful, it was a great group and it was very diverse and it was amazing. We were very successful. It was a great group and it was very diverse and it was very emotional, but it created this small community of people who now knew each other in a different way, where they created some empathy and it was beautiful. Just art itself is just nice. It's beautiful. I love art.
Speaker 1:And that is a great segue into my next question, which is something that, again, we've kind of talked about it throughout this conversation. But what do you think the link is between art and community?
Speaker 2:So the link between art and community is very profound. I think Art, like I mentioned, it's like a bridge right, and it brings people together to share their experiences, like in Amarte, they literally share their experiences. And then we also celebrate diversity with dancing and we foster understanding. So, through artistic expression, communities can strengthen their bonds. We definitely, I know in el ballet folklórico México lindo, we have bonded children and adults, and also in Zumba.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, you have to come to one of the classes because you're going to see the like. It's like if they've known each other for years and some of them are new and every time I join them they just talk to each other like like they've known each other their whole life. It's just, I love it. And it's all backgrounds and it's not just Hispanic people who have joiner classes. Like I said, it's it's very diverse, it's a very diverse group, so it can strengthen their bond, it promotes inclusion and it builds resilience. Definitely, and additionally, cross-cultural arts initiatives can create opportunities for dialogue and collaboration, like I had mentioned with the other association. It enhances mutual respect and appreciation among different cultural groups and, ultimately, arts have the power to strengthen communities by creating shared experiences that unite us in our diversity. Definitely, definitely, definitely so. Art is a language that everyone can speak.
Speaker 1:Wow, that was a beautiful answer, and now those are all of my formal questions for you, but I'd like to give you a chance to speak on anything that we didn't get a chance to talk about today.
Speaker 2:I'm just so grateful for all of the programs that we have been able to have and all the groups and bonds that have been able to we've been able to create or help create, because, like I said, in our mission, this is our mission to empower everyone who comes here at the Hispanic American Association of Delaware, and I feel like these groups, these programs, have fulfilled that mission. And I don't know, I just love it.
Speaker 1:I love it all, and your love of it truly speaks volumes, because you've told me about all of these amazing programs and opportunities that you offer over at HAD, but the fact that you love them so much, really just it says a lot about it, and that's amazing. Yes, thank you. Thank you so much. While HAD's Dia de los Muertos event has already passed, they have programming year-round. If you'd like to be involved or see one of their performances, make sure to follow them on social media to see what's coming up next. Bye.
