Miami, July 10, 2020 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Koubek Center announced its virtual programming for July and August, featuring bilingual and Spanish-language events for families, including Storybook Picnic at Home! (Picnic de Libros ¡en casa!), stage readings, musical theater and dance classes for adults via Facebook and Instagram Live @KoubekCenterMDC.
“Koubek Center was one of the first cultural institutions to create a virtual programming when the pandemic began,” said Melissa Messulam, Koubek’s general manager. “It’s been a way to stay connected as a community and support local artists. Our goal is to recreate online, as faithfully as possible, the experience of what our season would be like in person.”
The virtual programming for July and August will include Storybook Picnic at Home! (Picnic de Libros ¡en casa!) a series of free, bilingual multidisciplinary events to interest kids in literature and the arts through stories, poems, tongue twisters, riddles and music. Presented in collaboration with Fundación Cuatrogatos and the support of the Miami Book Fair, the first picnic kicks-off on Saturday, July 11.
Events for adults include stage readings in Spanish Picnic in the Battlefield by Fernando Arrabal and Estudio en Blanco y Negro by Virgilio Piñera, in collaboration with MarGi Happenings and mini-concerts by Venezuelan cuatro player Henry Linarez; Haitian American singer-songwriter Inez Barlatier; Spanish guitarist José Luis de la Paz and Cuban singer and multi-instrumentalist Yusa.
Renowned dance teacher Marisol Blanco will continue ¡Baila Little Havana!, her free weekly Cuban dance classes every Tuesday at 7 p.m. This month, she will start teaching rumba in its three styles – Yambú, Guaguancó y Columbia – and revisit social dances, casino and timba styles.
While the pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges, it has also created unexpected opportunities for both artists and audiences.
“We’re able to reach more students than before. In our dance classes, for example, we can accommodate more students virtually than in our physical space,” Messulam said. “From the beginning, we have had people participating from Latin America, Canada and Europe. We even have one student who joins the class every week from Japan.”
July & August Events at Koubek Center:
July 11 – Storybook Picnic At Home! (Picnic de Libros ¡En Casa!)
July 14 – ¡Baila! with Marisol Blanco
July 17 – Dramatic readings of Picnic in the Battlefield & Estudio en blanco y negro Facebook:
July 21 – ¡Baila! With Marisol Blanco InstagramLive
July 25 – Storybook Picnic At Home! (Picnic de Libros ¡En Casa!)
July 28 – ¡Baila! with Marisol Blanco
July 31 – Mini-Concert with Inez Barlatier
August 4 – ¡Baila! Con Marisol Blanco
August 8 – Storybook Picnic At Home! (Picnic de Libros ¡En Casa!)
August 11 – ¡Baila! Con Marisol Blanco
August 14 – Mini-Concert with Yusa
August 18 – ¡Baila! With Marisol Blanco
August 21 – Lectura dramatiza de Pareja abierta
August 22 – Storybook Picnic At Home! (Picnic de Libros ¡En Casa!)
August 25 – ¡Baila! with Marisol Blanco
August 28 – Mini-Concert with José Luis de la Paz
About the Koubek Center
A South Florida landmark with a long and rich history as a cultural hub, The Koubek Center is dedicated to building community through the arts. Over the past several decades, the Center has offered a variety of activities including workshops, art exhibitions, theater performances, literary readings, and concerts. It is a place for artists and local arts organizations to explore and experiment, engage in collaborations and share their work with the community. The Koubek Center includes a 200-seat theater, an expansive garden, classrooms, and rehearsal and multi-use spaces. Built in 1929 by Austrian trader John J. Koubek as a gift to his wife, it was later donated to the University of Miami and acquired by Miami Dade College in 2011.
To sign up and for more information, visit www.koubekcenter.org, or Facebook and Instagram @KoubekCenterMDC.
MDC Koubek Center contact: Adriana Oliva, 786-252-9920, adriana@aoinsight.com.