La Familia

L.A. Familia is the Diavolo Institute’s multi-generational dance program that uses dance and everyday movement to get entire families working together. Participants are non-dancer adults and children from the underserved communities of northeast Los Angeles. This program uses the arts to give a voice to the disadvantaged communities who would otherwise be marginalized.

L.A. Familia consists of a five-week movement workshop that immerses community participants in a supportive, transformative environment. The workshop culminates in performances at Plaza de la Raza, a public community space in east Los Angeles. Families use Diavolo’s unique set pieces and performance techniques, exploring the pathways and gravity they share. Artistic Director Jacques Heim states, “I try to convey an appreciation for movement by breaking down barriers to dance.”

Community participants fall into each other’s arms at the dinner table or dance through their “getting-ready-for-school” routines in custom-choreographed dance on Diavolo’s set pieces, using movement to share the importance of family with the entire community.