CONTRA-TIEMPO + Teapot LA + Folktales and Fire presents…
Sugar Stories
CONTRA-TIEMPO, Teapot L.A., and Folktales and Fire collaborate to bring you an evening of storytelling, movement expression, and tea tasting. Join us on June 15 at Veterans Memorial Park as we drink tea, dance, and share stories of healing, resilience, and sugar.
Featuring storytellers Joshua Jean-Baptiste, Maria Corina Ramirez, and Afimaye Galarraga.
Featuring CONTRA-TIEMPO movement artists Ana Maria Alvarez, Edgar Aguirre, Jose Jose Arrieta Cuesta, Jannet Galdamez, and Jasmine Stanley-Haskins
Schedule:
6-6:45pm Arrival and Welcome Tea
6:45-9pm Performance Offerings
This performance is made possible in part by the City of Culver City and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
About Teapot L.A.
Teapot is a paradise garden that cultivates love of the outdoors as a catalyst for creativity, community healing, and co-creation by connecting artists and intergenerational families in park-deprived neighborhoods.
About Joshua Jean-Baptiste
Haitian-American writer/director Joshua Jean-Baptiste creates narratives that probe deep into culture and identity, often drawing from his own personal experiences to explore the nuances of ideological attachments. His directorial journey began with experimental theater at the Miami Theater Center and Micro Theater Miami, establishing a strong foundation upon which his storytelling craft would continue to grow. Joshua starred and co-wrote the series 'Grown' (2018), later co-penning the feature film ‘Ludi’ (2021) which captivated audiences at SXSW and the Miami Film Festival and many others. A 2023 alumnus of the Oolite Arts Home and Away Residency, he is actively developing an array of diverse short films and his inaugural feature-length piece. Outside of directing, Joshua coaches aspiring storytellers and produces “Folktales and Fire,” an event series he conceived, fostering collaborations with brands and non-profits. Unwavering and intrepid, his commitment echoes through his endeavors to nurture cultural understanding, amplify underrepresented voices, and forge ahead in contributing to the Black Speculative Arts.
About Maria Corina Ramire
Venezuelan-born, Miami raised multi-hyphenate Maria Corina Ramirez earned her B.F.A. in Acting from New World School of the Arts. Her screenplay, One Day, was a 2022 top ten finalist for the Tribeca Film Festival Untold Stories grant. Her debut feature film, Bridges, which she wrote, produced, directed and starred in, premiered to sold out audiences and much acclaim at the 25th UrbanWorld Film Festival, the 38th Miami Film Festival, and the 20th Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. It was dubbed "one of the most accurate film portrayals of what immigrant youths withstand in this country" by the L.A times and "must-see cinema" by Remezcla. Prior, she starred in and co-wrote Complex Network's first-ever scripted series, Grown, which was HBO's Project Greenlight winning digital series. She has starred in two NBC-Telemundo TV series, two Cine Latino films, and over a dozen national campaigns and commercials. Her solo theatre piece, Supa'Nova, which she also wrote, directed, and starred in, won an artist residency at Miami Theatre Center and a producer's scholarship for the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival in L.A., where performances were sold out and highly resonant with audiences. Her work is dedicated to amplifying and humanizing the female and Latinx experience. When she is not acting or writing, she is doing yoga, making her family laugh, dancing, dipping in the ocean or traveling.
About Afimaye Galarraga
Afimaye Galarraga also affectionately referred to by his clients as Spiritual Doctor AFI, is a well-respected spiritualist, spiritual healer, Afro-Cuban artist, singer, with over 30 years experience in the metaphysical arena of spiritual healing, Afro-Cuban Lukúmí tradition, and the Afro-Cuban performing arts. His spiritual blessings and teachings are based upon his life experiences and teachings passed down through generations of a family with a rich history. Through his influential upbringing alongside respected leaders of wisdom Afimaye works with clients to help them discover what hidden within.
His father, El Maestro Lazaro Galarraga, also a native of Havana Cuba is a world-wide Afro-Cuban practitioner, singer and percussionist that taught Afimaye how to play the drums and sing to the Spirits of Nature from a very young age.