“By the end of 90 ear-teasing, hip-shaking minutes, two things were clear: La Mezcla Artistic Director and choreographer Vanessa Sanchez ranks among the most singular dance artists to emerge from San Francisco in decades. Second, this defiantly joyous production… deserves to be seen across the country.”—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle
Ghostly Labor is a multidisciplinary, rhythmic performance that explores the history of labor in the US-Mexico borderlands and the joy of collective resistance. This work brings together Tap Dance, Mexican Zapateado, Afro Caribbean movement, live music and animated archival video. Featuring an all female dance company, spoken word, traditional Son Jarocho music from Veracruz, Mexico and an Afro-Latinx percussive score, this full length dance theater production highlights historical events, such as the Bath Riots of 1917, the experiences of farm workers and domestic workers throughout California, and generations of labor that have gone unseen.
La Mezcla is a polyrhythmic, San Francisco-based dance and music ensemble rooted in Chicana, Latina and Indigenous traditions and social justice. Founded in 2015 by Dance/USA fellow Vanessa Sanchez, their work brings together Tap dance, Son Jarocho and Afro-Caribbean rhythms to bring the often unseen histories and experiences of communities of color to stages, streets and fields. Their production Pachuquísmo, an all-womxn Tap dance and Son Jarocho performance about Pachucas and the Zoot Suit Riots, received the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Production. The show has toured nationally to venues including Dance Place (DC), Jacob’s Pillow (MA) and the Lincoln Center (NY), and made its international debut at Festival Cervantino in Guanajuato, Mexico in October 2023. La Mezcla’s new work Ghostly Labor, explores the legacy of labor in the US-Mexico borderlands and the joy of collective resistance, and will tour the US through 2025. The associated film Ghostly Labor: a Dance Film has been screened internationally at film festivals, and was named Best Short Documentary at the Los Angeles Dance Camera West Festival.
Committed to using dance and music for social change, La Mezcla offers paid internships, artist mentorships, and has partnered with organizations including Lincoln Center Education, KQED Arts, and Ayudando Latinos a Soñar Farmworker Fridays to provide educational opportunities and hands-on community engagement. La Mezcla’s program “Connecting Communities” provides free grant workshops and artistic training with master artists to local communities.
