Mexican choreographer empowers the Latino community

Mexican choreographer Gabriela García

is the co-founder of R.Evolución Latina , a non-profit organization that seeks to create a sense of identity and meaning through musical theater inspiring and empowering young Latinos in New York.

Gabriela García, native of La Paz , Baja California Sur , joined the organization conceived by artistic director Luis Salgado 10 years ago, to contribute with her experience in musical numbers in Europe and the United States as a teacher and director of choreography.

“She’s a passionate teacher, inspiring, mentoring and instilling her values and work ethic into the young Latino community,” reads in her bio in R.Evolución Latina website .

R.Evolución Latina utilizes the arts through educational and collaborative programming to empower the Latino community to discover their full potential always committed to making a difference through art.

García assures that through the performing arts , and especially through musical theater, which involves acting , dancing and singing , the programs without cost of the organization that she co-founded help to develop self-esteem and security.

"The intention is to try that the students themselves impose a challenge so that they can reach more and that is precisely our motto: dare to reach more ," said the choreographer and dancer.

The organization was conceived after the success in Broadway of the musical " In the Heights ", that is considered the first work of the musical theater with massive success that approached without prejudices the dramas and challenges of the Latin community of the United States.

Mounted in 2008, "In the Heights", with music and lyrics created by " Hamilton ", Lin-Manuel Miranda , "showed the Latino community in a positive light, without knives, violence or drugs, but as migrants in search of a better life," according to Garcia.

Salgado, who participated in "In the Heights", decided to expand the successful experience of Latinos on Broadway. His mission is to inspire young people , some of whom could be the big stars of musical theater in the coming years.

Currently, R.Evolución Latina finishes an intensive course of almost a month, which culminates with an assemble in the theater of the Harlem School for the Arts . The piece is a musical montage based on texts by William Shakespeare.

Overall, 35 students participated in the program, all of whom received a full scholarship that covers costs over USD$3,000 . The majority of the students are Latinos from New York , as well as young people from Mexico , Colombia , Argentina , and France .

"With the current political situation in the United States, where we talk about segregating cultures and languages, we realize that the language of theater unites us and through the words of Shakespeare we celebrate the cultures we have," Garcia said.

The two Mexican students for this year's program are Sonia Monroy Fernández , 23 , and Melissa Barajas , 29 . Both have already participated in several productions of Broadway musical works in theaters in Mexico.

"Every day we try to go further, to take away our fears and discover how much we can achieve ourselves and as a team," Monroy said.

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