Encountering Encuentros Joining the program with Bindis and Bruises, Encuentros, directed and choreographed by Silvita Diaz-Brown. Just like the process for Bindis and Bruises, the process for Encuentros developed over the course of two years. Both first glimpses of these original work to the CDE audiences appeared at Full Circle Festival of March 2015. We are extremely pleased to present these works at their full development. It's not often you have so many diverse disciplines and styles collaborating together for the stage. With our last post discussing Priya's relationship to the bindi, let's learn more about Silvita, her unique aesthetic and how Encuentros came to be. Silvita Diaz Brown is an independent Latino choreographer, dancer, yogi, acroyogi and yoga instructor established in Chicago since 2008. She is the founder of Sildance/AcroDanza project. Her work has been presented in Delhi, India, Toronto, Canada, Puebla, Mexico, in several states in USA and many venues across Chicago. Her work interweaves dance, partner-acrobatics, sound, ritual gesture and poetry to recreate scenes of life experiences. She believes our bodies and voices hold within them countless stories, which when expressed in creative ways can transform and heal those who witness the work. Silvita’s work investigates the self, its desires, fears and realizations and how they intersect with societal norms and expectations as they pertain to gender, race, and class. Silvita is passionate about creating works that are based on life's journeys. Her work attempts to reach all as curious and evolving beings. Her dance and yoga practices have influenced her life and movement vocabulary tremendously to become its own blended expression. Her last work, Secretos, Conexiones y Revelaciones (2013) was born from these influences and led her to partner acrobatics (acroyoga) as an invaluable choreographic tool. Partner acrobatics strongly blends into her movement vocabulary and her interest to understand the key to successful, long term loving relationships. Fruitful Partner acrobatics are deeply rooted in building trust, communication, patience and listening skills. Encuentros was born two years ago as Silvita realized she needed to understand better loving relationships as the foundation of families and healthy societies. Silvita and Lani Montreal, dramaturge and poet of Encuentros, supported the project research with Erich Fromm’s, The Art of Loving. Encuentros meditates on the moments of personal encounter and the journey couples take in loving relationships. The piece will embody the journey of two couples. The idea behind the stories are to present alternate possibilities outcomes in a relationship. On a deeper, more political level, the piece also explores the issue of gender equality in the context of patriarchy. Silvita sees the work as a triptych, representing each part of a relationship from encounter and infatuation, to revelation of imperfections, and finally, to self-actualization and potential path of separation. Encuentros journey attempts to bring a better understanding that a loving relationship should not be an oppressive relationship rooted in patriarchy and misogyny, but a partnership between equals that brings out the best in us as human beings. Encuentros opens with Bindis and Bruises on March 4, 8pm at the Auditorium of Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Encuentros will perform through March 12.   
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