The cast of the play “Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes)” held a Community Fandango in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza on Tuesday. The Fandango included a Zapateado, a dance characterized by the rhythmic stomping of the feet.
The audience of around 40 people was encouraged to clap and sing along to the music, and even play instruments alongside the musicians.
Sinuhé Padilla, the musician who wrote the songs for the play, said performing the Fandango gives him an opportunity to share a piece of his culture.
“We came to this country to offer our culture and our traditions,” Padilla said. “We can learn a lot from each other and be part of the same community, and that community is going to be rich if we learn from each other.”
Malena Ramirez teaches acting at Penn State. She said seeing the event made her “feel alive.”
“It means a lot because, especially in State College, we don't get the opportunity to see Latin American stories and Latin American music,” Ramirez said. “This is a way of connecting with where are you from.”
En Garde Arts will perform “Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes)” Thursday night at 7:30 at Eisenhower Auditorium.