El Día de los Muertos celebration with the Latin Ballet of Virginia

Come out and celebrate El Día de los Muertos on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wise County Performing Arts Center at J.W. Adams Combined School in Pound. This event will kick off with a costume contest — contestants should arrive in costume by 7 p.m. for judging. Prizes will be awarded to adults and youth competing in the following categories: Cutest, Creepiest, Couple/Group, and Most Creative. Winners announced prior to the Latin Ballet’s performance. We invite you to add the names of your lost loved ones to the festive altar before or after the show to honor and preserve the memories of your departed friends and family members. There will also be authentic Mexican candies to share and sample. Tickets to the celebration are $10 and all students are free! Commemorative sugar skull t-shirts designed by local artist Samuel Henry will be available for purchase.

About Día de los Muertos

El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a celebration of one of the most traditional Mexican festivities. This Aztec ritual and commemoration began at least 3,000 years ago. Mesoamerican natives, African-Americans, and Spanish blend their traditions during the celebration. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember loved ones who have died, and helping to support their spiritual journey. In Mexican culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle. Mexicans view the holiday not as a day of sadness, but as a day of celebration because their loved ones awake and celebrate with them. Revered Día de los Muertos symbols include marigold flowers and monarch butterflies. According to Aztec traditions, the wild marigold flower represents the tones of earth, and is used to guide souls and little angels to their homes and altars. Monarch butterflies play an important role in Día de los Muertos because they are believed to hold the spirits of the departed—for thousands of years the people living in Mexico’s mountains have believed the butterflies are the spirits of the dead. Their arrival in winter coincides with Mexico’s most spectacular festival, El Día de los Muertos.

About the Latin Ballet of Virginia

The Latin Ballet of Virginia (LBV) was founded in 1997 in Richmond, Virginia under the direction of Ana Ines King, a native of Colombia. LBV is a professional dance company and school of dance, providing multicultural dance programs, instruction and performances for a diverse community. The Company is Central Virginia’s pre-eminent Hispanic dance company, performing throughout the State and at select venues in North and South America.

The Latin Ballet of Virginia’s mission is to enrich and connect communities through Latin/Hispanic cultural dance experiences with a commitment to education, diversity and accessibility.

About the Pro-Art Association

The Pro-Art Association, established in 1976, has the mission to promote the arts and expand accessibility to cultural experiences for residents and students in Wise, Lee, and Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton.

The Executive Director of Pro-Art is Jan Zentmeyer of Big Stone Gap. For more information about the Pro-Art Association, and to provide feedback or suggestions for improvement, you may call the office at 276/376-4520, send an email to pro-art@uvawise.edu, or visit us online at proartva.org.

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If you have questions please email pro-art@uvawise.edu or call 276-376-4520.