The never-before-seen rituals of the Yawanawá Tribe of the Brazilian Amazon will be brought to the Miami Theater Center (MTC) MainStage for a weekend-long celebration, Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The Yawanawá will share their sacred songs, ancestral dance, language, and spiritual heritage.
Besides the “Journey to Mutum” performance at MTC, 9806 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores, there also will be a fundraising “Dinner for Mutum” and a Family Day to be held at the grounds of The Kampong, 4013 Douglas Rd. in Coconut Grove.
Family Day presents an opportunity for attendees to interact with the Yawanawá through song and dance. Also included will be jewelry making, body painting and games, for an all-ages family event.
It all is done through MTC’s collaboration with Indigenous Celebration, The Kampong of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, and Florida International University’s program in the Study of Spirituality.
Stephanie Ansin, MTC’s founder and artistic director, said that MTC has been able to embark on its program of Indigenous Initiatives thanks to the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
“We are very grateful for the collaboration of all of our partners and for the NEA’s support in helping us build relationships with Indigenous people from this continent and others,” Ansin said.
Show times are Thursday, Sept. 29, 10 a.m.; Friday, Sept. 30, 10 a.m., and Saturday, Oct. 1, 8 p.m. The shows are appropriate for all ages.
Tickets are $30 general admission; $25 for seniors, students with valid ID and children under 12. Tickets for the “Dinner for Mutum” fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m., are $50 per person. Sponsorship packages available.
Proceeds will benefit the establishment of the Traditional School of Mutum (TSM) in the Mutum Village of Acre, Brazil for Yawanawá children ages 7-14.
For tickets go to http://ictickets.org/or call 305-751-9550.
