News & Events

IN EXILE , Echoes from Haiti and Cuba

by Patricia Bencomo-Amaro, Shirley Julian, and Roxana Suarez-Gianantonio
Posted March 25, 2004

The free performance, an original piece created by students Patricia Bencomo-Amaro, Shirley Julien, and Roxana Suarez-Gianantonio, will feature dance-theater, visual arts and music, and will address the critical issue of the arrival of undocumented Haitian and Cuban immigrants to Miami, and the resulting social impact on our community. All five human senses will be touched, with works of art from the Cuban and Haitian communities on display and available for sale, along with typical foods from both communities, with proceeds going to members of the Haitian community in exile. An open dialogue and Q&A between the audience, artists and directors will follow the performance.

In creating the piece as the final requirement to graduate from the Interdisciplinary Arts Program, Bencomo-Amaro, Julien, and Suarez-Gianantonio are working towards raising awareness of the plight of both communities. They seek for participants to walk away from their performance with a refreshed sensitivity to both cultures, and a renewed sense of responsibility for ensuring America is a productive and compassionate place where everyone can pursue the American Dream. "We are a professional and highly motivated team of graduate students united by the same passion, which is our desire to serve and educate out community through the arts. We believe art is the most powerful and effective tool to entertain, heal, educate, transform and grow. In short, art bridges cultural divisions and helps people reach self-actualization," they said jointly. "As graduating master's degree students of the Interdisciplinary Arts Program, we are joining efforts to use this tool to promote international cultural exchange in a multiethnic community."