Excerpt and montage of "I Am Julia", the first full-length dance theater production by noted Bomba dance practioner Julia L. Gutierrez-Rivera. The Production first premiered in Pregones Theater (June 2019)

"I Am Julia" begins with the story of "Caminos" - the paths that mark our fundamento. It is the story of our beginnings and our ancestors from whence we come from. Stories of wisdom, sweat, blood and resistance. Any journey of self or discovery must always begin with what happened before our consciousness even existed.

Excerpt of "I Am Julia", Ecos and Vientos segments. Amid the pressures of folkloric paradigm and assumed expectations unto heritage practitioners, are the subtle voices of our individuality. How can one create a balance in the two? Here we see Julia use those external & societal pressures to find and embrace her own voice as a tradition bearer.

An excerpt from "I Am Julia", dance theater performance by Julia Gutierrez-Rivera. The segment highlights the "masculinity", power and strength within the female voice and form. Dancing to the Corve Bomba rhythm while "Llegue Caminando" (a traditional Afro-Cuban Palo mambo) accents the musical landscape chant, what we see is a sense of war, defiance and resilience as Julia commands the drums and the energy while breaking the rules and confines of the traditional dance spaces of the Batey of Bomba.