Selections of "Pachuquísmo"

Vanessa Sanchez & La Mezcla present “Pachuquísmo,” a percussive dance production that brings together Tap dance, Mexican Zapateado, live Jazz music, traditional Son Jarocho (from Veracruz, Mexico), and archival video to portray the female experiences of the 1940’s Zoot Suit Riot era. Pachuquísmo is funded by the New England Foundation for the Arts National Dance Production Grant and has touring subsidies available.

The recipient of the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Production, the zoot suit wearing, all-female cast centers the Chicana experience exploring history, culture, and rhythm through the lens of Mexican-American pachucas. Director, Choreographer and Dance/USA Artist Fellow Vanessa Sanchez developed Pachuquísmo over several years researching newspaper archives, interviewing historians, and bringing a forgotten history to the stage.

Performed by company members of La Mezcla, the work is a lively and powerful production that challenges gender roles and confronts legacies of systemic racism.

The full length theater production runs approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.

Pachuquísmo travels with a 9-person cast and 1-2 technicians. Touring subsidies are available through the New England Foundation for the Arts. Vanessa Sanchez and La Mezcla are also available for workshops, lectures, community engagement events and outdoor adaptations of the work. 

For inquiries and booking please contact Vanessa Sanchez at LaMezclaSF@gmail.com or by visiting her website www.VanessaSanchez.net

KQED Arts Feature: https://youtu.be/U_vm9EU0YBU

Created, Directed and Choreographed by Vanessa Sanchez

Performance filmed at Brava Theater Center, San Francisco, October 2019