On Saturday, March 19 the 110 dancers of El Gran Continental poured their hearts into the two performances presented at Plaza de las Tres Culturas. Located in a working-class neighbourhood, this vast public square has a storied past and has at times been witness to tragic events. It was here that the Spanish completed their conquest of the city, and the ruins of ancient temples still stand along the edge of the Plaza. It was also here where dozens of students were killed by the police during a peaceful march in 1968. More recently, during the 1985 earthquake several buildings collapsed and hundreds of people died. For both the dancers and the audience, El Gran Continental took on special importance as it offered a joyous, refreshing break from that bleak past. Once the dance began its magical spell took hold, and the emotion was palpable. As usual, after the Grand Continental performances the public was invited to dance with the participants, and a party atmosphere soon prevailed. For our two performances the following Saturday, we took the centre of the city by storm as we performed on the esplanade of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a magnificent site of white marble in the historic centre of Mexico City.
Hasta la proxima!
Sylvain Émard
For a glimpse of El Gran Continental’s premiere
El Gran Continental in front of the Church of Santiago and one of the apartment building that surrounds the dance space
Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco adorned with a luminous and temporary installation by visual artist Thomas Glassford
Commemorative photos of students killed during the 1968 massacre in Tlatelolco
The ruins of the Tlatelolco Aztec temples and the colonial Church of Santiago
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