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The
legend of the Poinsettia is
the annual,
Holiday
production for the
LATIN BALLET OF VIRGINIA.
The
Latin Ballet of Virginia,
Richmond
’s only
professional Hispanic American dance company, under the direction of Ana
Ines king, is proud to present The
Legend of the Poinsettia. We invite you to share
in a festive evening of
dance and music celebrating the Hispanic spirit of the season.
The
Legend of the Poinsettia
– a
story based on the Mexican
legend of a pure hearted young girl who discovers the true spirit of
giving. This story is as traditional in the
Latin American holiday season as the Nutcracker is in the
United States.
Unable to offer a gift of
material value, she picks a handful of weeds that magically transform into
brilliant crimson flowers and thus the custom of giving poinsettias during
the holidays is born.
The
Latin Ballet’s production of The
Legend of the Poinsettia elegantly
portrays the traditions of the season in the
Latin America
countries of
Mexico,
Colombia
and
Venezuela. Dances and music will
demonstrate cultural celebrations with aguinaldos,
gaitas, cumbias and vallenatos. This year production will include
representations of traditional dances and music from
Puerto Rico
and
Spain
such as the parrandas
and Rumba Flamenca. The
spiritual reverence of the season is combined with the joy and laughter of
the traditional festivities of dance and song.
The Legend of
the Poinsettia
Little
Maria did not have a gift for the Baby Jesus. All she could find was a
handful of weeds...but, because she gave from her heart, the weeds turned
into beautiful red flowers. This is the story of the Poinsettia, the
Christmas plant.
ACT I
La
Noche de las Velitas
- December 7
It is a tradition in every Latin American country to light
candles on the night of December 7th to
provide light for the
journey of The Three Kings and to thank the Virgin Mary for what they have
in life.
La
Casita de Maria
(Maria’s House)
Posadas
Representing the Holy Pilgrims, Maria and Jose’s journey to
Bethlehem.
El Pesebre
(The Nativity)
To glorify Christmas and celebrate the birth of the Baby
Jesus, everyone takes part in decorating the village church and the
piazza.
Las Novenas
The idea of commemorating the Holy Family’s journey to
Bethlehem can be traced back to St. Ignatius Loyola in the 16th
century. He suggested a Christmas novena, or special prayers, to be said
on nine successive days. In 1580, St. John of the Cross made a religious
pageant out of the proceedings, and seven years later the nine-day
remembrance was introduced to the natives by Spanish missionaries. Solemn
and deeply religious in feeling at first, the observances soon became
imbued with the spirit of fun and eventually left the church and began to
be celebrated in people’s homes.
Tres Deseos
Jingle Belle lle
Noche de Paz
(Silent Night)
Intermission
ACT II
SPAIN
Cancion de Cuna para el el niñito Jesus
(Spanish Lullaby for Baby Jesus)
Rumba Flamenca (Cuba-Spain)
Performed by the Junior Company
Cancion Gitana para el Niñito Jesus
(Gypsy song for Baby Jesus)
Bachata Navidena
New Years Eve Celebration – Feliz Año
Alegria en la ciudad, globos y farolitos,
(Colombia)
Gaitas y Parrandas:
(Venezuela)
MARIA
The Wool Blanket
Maria wanted to make a very special gift for Little Jesus.
She had helped her mama before with the loom, so she tried on her own to
weave a colorful blanket but the threads of yarn became an entangled mess.
A la Virgen Maria
It is a tradition to ask for special favors from the Virgin
Mary. As part of this tradition, Don Felipe and Dona Consuelo visited the
Virgin, asking for blessings of good health for the mama of little Maria
who was very ill.
Los Tres Reyes Magos y la Estrella del Oriente
January 6th - The Feast of the Epiphany
It is the Three Wise Men who bring gifts for the children.
Christmas continues for a few weeks after December 25th. The
legend tells of the three Wise Men traveling to bring gifts to the infant
Jesus, following the North Star on their way to Bethlehem.
Any gift is beautiful because it is given
Scared Maria, not having any gift for the Baby Jesus,
learns from el Espiritu de la Poinsettia that love is what makes any gift
special.
The bundle of green weeds
Unable to offer a gift of material value to
the baby Jesus on Epiphany Day, she picks a handful of weeds outside the
church. Magically, the weeds transform into beautiful crimson flowers.
The Miracle |
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La
Leyenda de la Poinsettia es
la producción anual de navidad por LATIN BALLET OF VIRGINIA.
El
Latin Ballet de Virginia, compañía profesional de danza, bajo la dirección
de Ana Inés King, presenta La Leyenda de la Poinsettia (la
Flor de Nochebuena)
Ven
a Compartir una noche de danza y música llena de tradiciones Hispanas.
Celebra con nosotros el verdadero espiritu de la Navidad.
La
Leyenda de la Poinsettia, basada en una leyenda Mexicana, es la historia
de una niña que vivia en una pobre granja familiar en un pueblo de
Mexico. La pequeña Maria descubre el verdadero espiritu de dar. “Lo
que das con tu corazon, es recibido con Amor.”
No teniendo un regalo para obsequiarle al Niñito Jesus, La
pequeña Maria recoge la hierba entre sus brazos, la cubre con su manto y
corre hacia la iglesia. Mágicamente la hierba se transforma en
resplandecientes estrellas rojas, la flor de Nochebuena.
La
leyenda de la Poinsettia muestra con elegancia las tradiciones de las
Navidades en Latin America. Las Novenas, los nueve dias de cantos y rezos al niñito Jesus en
conmemoracion al peregrinaje (posadas) a Belen. La espiritualidad de las
Navidades es combinada con las festividades de las alegres y tradicionales
parrandas llenas de danzas y canciones. Este año encontraran nuevas
tradiciones de diferentes paises como son Aguinaldos de Mexico; Porros y
Cumbias de Colombia; Gaitas de Venezuela; Parrandas Navideñas de Puerto
Rico y Rumbas Flamencas de España y Cuba.
“Lo que das con tu corazon, es recibido con amor”
“Anything
you give with your heart is love, Love is the true spirit of giving”
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