iro y Maraca Volume 7, Number 3 July 2003 A Publication of the Segunda Quimbamba Folkloric Center, Inc. La Monoestrellada in the Lone Star State: The Meteoric Rise of Austin's Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance By Juan Cartagena In the southern part of Texas, San Antonio and beyond, three flags with slow, undulating waves in a hot, unforgiving Texan sun are prominent in airports and other locales. In the center, the stars and stripes hold court. To the left, the unflinching waves of the lone star state flag of Texas is noticeable. To the right are the proud red, white and green colors of the bandera de Mexico. The flags are a clear reminder of the profound relationships, tor- tured and at times complementary, between Texas and the land of Aztlan. About 70 miles north in Austin, Texas, the impact of Mexican life and culture within the state capitol does not wane, despite the city's reputation as the most diverse of Texas' communities. It is representative of the extensive and ever growing Mexican influence in all things Latino within the United States; a growing influence that every Latina and Latino should recognize with- in the U.S. — that the Latinization of the United States is dominated by Mexico, no matter how prominent and com- mercialized Cuban and Puerto Rican images have manifested themselves in recent years. It is the music of Mexico and its offshoots, banda and norteno music that is far and away the biggest selling music among Latinos in this country. For decades now, Mexican Americans have composed approximately 60% of the Latino population of the United States. In 2000 Mexicans were over 75% of all Latinos in Texas. And the lifeblood of Mexican American influence is Texas first; California, New Mexico, second. (over) Adentro: Inside: La Monoestrellada en Texas: La Subida Veloz del La Monoestrellada en Texas: La Subida Veloz del Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance (resumen), pag. 5 Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance (Spanish summary), p. 5 Resenas, pag. 11 Reviews, p. 11 Grupos de Bomba y Plena, pag. 12 Bomba & Plena Groups, p. 12 So it was a welcome sight to see Puerto Rican ed groups that are exclusively, or predominately, bomba flags flowing in rhythm in a dance and music perform- and/or plena based. In fact, we've always premised the ance in July 2003 in the heart of Austin's downtown dis- inclusion of bomba and plena groups in our listing on the trict, considering that Boricuas compose only one percent last page of each issue on the ability of those groups to of all the Latinos in the state. The monoestrellada present bomba or plena in a live setting. It is a bright line boricua flag was provided courtesy of Puerto Rican test that may exclude excellent dance groups who, for Folkloric Dance and Cultural Center, a relatively new but lack of resources, cannot find the drummers and guitarists successful boricua dance troupe in the heart of Texas that necessary to present our music in its full power. In those has maximized the power of the Internet, and a void left instances, recorded music often provides the bridge to by many Puerto Rican groups in the U.S. to present full- bomba and plena authenticity and many Puerto Ricans fledged dance and live musical performances of the learn the dances of their ancestors, nonetheless. danza, seis, bomba and plena in a folkloric medium However, the energy of live Puerto Rican music, its cua joined annually by excellent musicians and dancers from and its pandero is what separates many dance troupes in Puerto Rico and New York. the United States. Our criterion is thus a way of recog- nizing authenticity and promoting the drums, drummers The ascent of Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance, and drum makers of Puerto Rico. When Ana Maria founded in 1997 in Austin, is impressive. It quickly Maynard informed me a few years ago that her Austin secured funding from the National Endowment of the troupe was at that level, we were happy to include them. Arts in D.C., the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Now after an eyewitness account of their work in Austin, Austin Arts Commission and the Institute of Puerto Rican the story of Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance can be shared Culture in San Juan, among others, to establish a series of with our bomba and plena fans. artists-in-residence who eventually perform jointly in a dance extravaganza in July. In 2001 Modesto Cepeda PRF Dance: A Treasure in Texas and members of Cimiento Puertorriquetio came to Juan Gutierrez of Los Pleneros de la 21 called teach and perform in Austin. In 2002 it was Los Pleneros them a "treasure," the Austin American Statesman called de la 21 and this year it was Guateque — Ballet them "cultural ambassadors" and a panelist for the Austin Folclorico de Puerto Rico. It is important to note that Arts Commission noted how fast and far they progressed the residency programs last a week in some cases — in such a short time. Truth is that PRF Dance has enough time for intensive instruction. How many U.S. exceeded expectations. In just over five years, Ana Maria based Puerto Rican cultural dance groups can match such Maynard has parlayed her incredible organizational and an infusion of top-shelf artistic folkloric talent in so short leadership skills, along with her passion for Puerto Rican a period of time? How many bomba and plena groups in arts, into a recognized dance entity. Her website this country amass the funds necessary to import veterans (www.prfdance.org) alone receives 1,400 hits per month. of this caliber? Our collaboration at Giiiro y Maraca with PRF Dance goes back years and it started with introductions online to Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance is the product of find the best sources of information on dance, drums, the leadership provided by its founder, Ana Maria groups, costumes, videos, for Puerto Ricans throughout Maynard, of the Bronx and Caguas, whose employment the U.S. In short time, Maynard maximized the power of at IBM took her to the center of Texas, of all places. This the Internet to create a network of contacts and support leadership allowed the nascent dance group to position for her new dance group. Add to this the groundwork of itself among the small universe of Puerto Rican cultural research she conducted in Puerto Rico with numerous exponents in the U.S. in a way that maximized the power bomba, plena, jibaro and folkloric groups and you had of the Internet through its website, parlayed its ability to the makings of a Puerto Rican performance group that offer a full complement of Puerto Rican musical expres- would be noticed. sion from the mountains to the coasts, and lastly, high- lighted its location outside of typical Puerto Rican com- Another indicator of this meteoric rise is the annu- munities. al celebration in July hosted by PRF Dance that com- bines excellent professional Puerto Rican performers For Giiiro y Maraca this is our profile of a per- with her growing dance and music company. These vis- formance troupe that offers bomba and plena in a sup- iting artists fill a gap in PRF Dance that will eventually portive role. All of our previous profiles have highlight- be met: they provide live music accompaniment to the 2 dance troupe in limited situations. At present PRF Dance has had with various professional groups, such as, the can hold its own in plena and bomba but is still looking West African Drum & Dance Ensemble of Austin in for a cuatro player to complete the musicians for its 2000; Modesto Cepeda and jibaro music. Texas is obviously not the Northeast or C i m i e n t o Florida. What is clear is that this ambitious performing Puertorriquerio in company will be able to mee this and other challenges. 2001; the chorus of the Escuela Libre And there is no lack of ambition in Maynard's de Miisica, and troupe. The budget for the 2003 "Celebrando 2003 with Los Pleneros de Guateque Ballet Folklorico de Puerto Rico" was $84,000 la 21, both in alone, a sum far exceeding the budgets of numerous folk- 2002; and loric groups in and outside of Puerto Rico. Guateque in 2003. Last year in July 2002 Ana Maria Maynard launched a 5-year capital campaign to secure a physical All of this location for PRF Dance for its rehearsals and a school in started with the Austin to teach Puerto Rican folkloric dance and music to vision of one woman, people of all backgrounds. This year in February 2003 Ana Maria Maynard in she opened the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance & 1997 that grew to a nucleus of Cultural Center more than four years ahead of schedule! three dancers in January 1998 that then grew to a full The stars were aligned when the director of the Tapestry dance and music troupe today. It started with a vision of Dance Company, Acia Gray, offered a way to secure a providing a view of Puerto Rico — the beauty of the 1,000 square foot space in their building for PRF Dance. island, its traditions, and its culture — to the greater Austin community. "It's a little piece of Puerto Rico right here The new home of PRF Dance is located in an in Austin. And it is in a community that cares. There's a environment where dance reigns. Multiple studios greet sense of family in this community which is always there, the visitor with dance students seriously studying their but especially when our children and teenagers perform," craft.