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Latin Ballet of Virginia at Cena con Cuentos
January 20 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Latin Ballet of Virginia at Cena con Cuentos
Tuesday, January 20 from 5 – 6:30 pm
Tuesday, February 17 from 5 – 6:30 pm
Tueday, March 17 from 5 – 6:30 pm
Tuesday, April 21 from 5 – 6:30 pm
Make sure to attend Cena con Cuentos on these special dates to see the Latin Ballet of Virginia (LBV) at the Stryker Center! LBV visits are scheduled for Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 17 and April 21. Each visit will include a performance integrating live dance, narration, and rhythm to illustrate cultural stories and traditions from across the Latin diaspora and the Caribbean. The performances will be followed by workshops in which artists, using bilingual instruction, will guide participants in simple dance steps and rhythmic patterns. Participation is free. Interested families can register by contacting Sara Meldrum by text at 571-310-0802 or email at smeldrum@wrl.org.
This winter, stories at 
Williamsburg Regional Library won’t just be told—they’ll be danced. Thanks to an Arts in Practice Grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, Spanish-speaking families will experience four live Latin dance performances and hands-on workshops between January and April with the 
Latin Ballet of Virginia (LBV), presented as part of WRL’s intergenerational Spanish-language storytime program, “Cena con Cuentos.”
“Cena con Cuentos,” which translates to “dinner with stories” in English, is a regular storytime program introduced by WRL in 2019. The program is held at the Stryker Center and typically features books, songs, rhymes, crafts, games and dinner provided free of charge by the Friends of WRL Foundation. Average program attendance has increased 72% over the past three years, now averaging 41 participants per session.
Sara Meldrum, the youth service librarian who developed and runs “Cena con Cuentos,” says that the program’s impact reaches far beyond the monthly meetings.
“Receiving this grant affirms that the programming WRL delivers to our community is valuable and relevant,“ said Sandy Towers, director of WRL. “Our hope for these workshops is that they’ll provide our families who attend Cena con Cuentos with an opportunity to participate in Latin dance traditions that celebrate their rich cultural heritage and strengthen their sense of belonging within our community.”
Central Virginia’s leading Hispanic dance company, LBV performs throughout the state and at select venues in North and South America, while also offering a wide range of weekly classes and community-based education programs.
The Virginia Commission for the Arts receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. VCA’s Arts in Practice grants help Virginia schools and community organizations bring in teaching artists for residencies, workshops, and performances.
For more information about this or other WRL programs, please visit WRL’s website at wrl.org or follow WRL on Facebook and Instagram.
