Union City is two months into its fifth annual Theatre Festival in the Park, and continues to draw in spectators from both the local and surrounding areas of North Hudson to Ellsworth Park, located at New York Avenue and 24th Street.
The free, summer festival has plays (including Shakespeare and comedies) every Thursday at 8 p.m. The festival is sponsored by the city of Union City in collaboration with the Grace Theatre Workshop.
Coming up next at Ellsworth Park is a performance of Colombian Folklore: Music & Dance, which will take place on Thursday, July 26, at 8 p.m., and will feature performances by local folkloric dance troop Orquidea de Oro (Golden Orchid), poet Adriana Hernandez, and singer Michelle Bermudez.
Sounds of the homeland
Director Nurys Capello, her family, and some close friends first formed Orquidea de Oro dance group in Hudson County in 1995. “We brought the nostalgia of our carnival [to Hudson County],” said Capello. “We started the group, my children and I started dancing, and we had our first presentation at St. Joseph of the Palisades in West New York. Later on more children came to join.” Over the last eight years, the troupe has grown to include dozens of participants, who have performed at festivals and Colombian cultural events throughout New Jersey and New York City. Currently they have a dance group of children and about 10 pairs of young adult dancing partners, and seven pairs of adult partners. “We have been recognized internationally,” said Capello. “In 1999, we performed at the United Nations annual cultural celebration, which honored Colombia that year. We have also performed at festivals in Washington D.C., which was a great honor for us.” Orquidea de Oro also recently won the Latino Dance Festival in Edison last May, and participates annually in North Hudson’s Hispanic Day Parade and New York’s Barranquilla Festival. Barranquilla is a province of Colombia, aka Shakira’s hometown. “We perform all the folkloric music of Colombia,” said Capello. Among the music visitors to the park will hear that night are: the native indigenous sounds of cumbia and bambuco to the harp-led musical style of llanera and the waltz-like rhythm of joropo. “We want people to know of the wonderful historical culture and joy of Colombia through our folkloric music,” said Capello. “We want everyone to know that Colombian’s are good and joyful people, and are proud of who we are.” The musings of Adriana
Also adding her touch of culture to the Thursday evening festival is Colombian poet Adriana Hernandez, who currently resides in Union City. “That night, I am going to read some of my poetry, as well as works from other Colombian poets,” said Hernandez. “It’s important to participate in these events because it promotes our culture.” During her readings and performances, Hernandez presents her personal works and the work of other poets, which she performs at times to musical accompaniment. “I have been a poet all of my life and I am currently working on a production presenting the poetry of many Hispanic Americans,” said Hernandez. “I also wrote and published my first book of poetry last year, which was presented at a fair in the New York Colombian Consulate in April. Copies were also given to the libraries in Queens.” In addition, Hernandez has produced four CDs of her work and the works of other Hispanic poets from all over South America. She is also working on a children’s poetry book, as well as her next book of poems. Hernandez’s daughter and other kids will also have their own musical performance that night featuring some of Colombia’s most beloved and traditional songs played on the saxophone and piano. For more on Hernandez, visit: www.hilodeluz.com. Future artist
Rounding out the musical performances that night will be Union Hill High School Student Michelle Bermudez. Bermudez’s parents are originally from Colombia. They exposed her to all of the traditional music and songs from their beloved homeland. “I just love the feeling you get from singing. This music is very special,” said Bermudez, who has been singing since the age of seven. “It reminds me of my childhood when I was five or six years old and my dad would have that music blasting in the living room and in the car.” In addition to her traditional Colombian favorites such as “Yo me llamo cumbia” (I call myself cumbia) and “Colombia querida” (My dear Colombia), Bermudez also performs jazz, Broadway show tunes, and other Latino mainstream hits and traditional boleros. She has also performed in various productions of the local community theater group the Union City Park Players. Bermudez and others will perform next Thursday at Ellsworth Park at 8 p.m. Jessica Rosero can be reached at jrosero@hudsonreporter.com