CALENDARIO CULTURAL DE LA ESCUELITA
World After This One: A Performance by Benji Hart
WORLD AFTER THIS ONE: A PERFORMANCE BY BENJI HART
Friday, March 8 at 7pm
La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón
3505 W North Ave. Chicago, IL
Talkback with Ivelisse Diaz
Free admission *limited spots available*
In this 2024 premiere, interdisciplinary artist Benji Hart’s World After This One uses movement and spoken word to examine how Black people have historically reclaimed the materials of empire to construct portals to impossible futures. Looking through the lenses of three Black art forms—the queer street style of vogue, the Afro-Boricua dance and drumming tradition of bomba, and gospel music—World After This One blurs the lines between the secular and the sacred, celebration and mourning, the past and the yet-to-pass, imagining Black liberation not as a metaphor, but a possibility.
The premiere of World After This One will take place across three different weekends at three venues, culminating at the LookOut Series at Steppenwolf. To see the full list of performances, visit BenjiHart.com.
Benji Hart is an interdisciplinary artist, author, and educator whose work centers Black radicalism, queer liberation, and prison abolition. Their words have appeared or are forthcoming in anthologies from Oxford University Press, Beacon Press, Haymarket Books, Pluto Press, and have been published at Time, Teen Vogue, The Advocate, The Funambulist Magazine, and elsewhere. They have led popular education and arts-based workshops for organizations internationally, including Project NIA, Forward Together, SisterSong, and Dissenters, and presented at the Barnard Center for Research on Women, the American Repertory Theater, the National Museum of African American History & Culture, and the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Their performances have been featured at the Poetry Foundation, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Den Frie, and Museo del Chopo. They have received fellowships from Yaddo, MacDowell, Chicago Dancemakers Forum, and are a Kistenbroker Family Artist in Residence at the Lab School.
Ivelisse “Bombera de Corazón” Diaz was born and raised in Humboldt Park, the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community. She is a founding member and lead vocalist of Bomba con Buya and director of the all-women assemble Las BomPleneras. In 2009, La Escuelita Bombera De Corazon was founded out of Ivelisse’s commitment to Black and Indigenous art education and her first-hand experiences of Bomba’s revolutionary power. With a vision at the intersection of art education and social justice, La Escuelita Bombera De Corazon’s bombastic pedagogy forms in-person and virtual sessions into a batey of embodied learning, reciprocity, healing, and remembrance. For her unique artistry, educational expertise, and community organizing, Ivelisse Diaz was awarded the 3Arts Make a Wave Award in 2017 and the prestigious 3Arts Award in 2019. Almost 30 years since her first day of class with her Tio Eli, Ivelisse chooses to encounter the drum daily as a student, creative artist, community organizer, proud Boricua de Chicago, and most importantly, a mother to her dearest daughter Amaya.
14th Year Anniversary Concert with Alma Moyo
Join us on October 28th 2023 as La Escuelita celebrates 14 years of bringing Bomba to the city of Chicago with special guests : Alma Moyo.
Latin Percussion Clinic with Grammy Nominee and Master Percussionist ANTHONY CARRILLO
Come take advantage of this opportunity to learn and be part of a clinic-workshop led by Grammy Nominee and Master Percussionist ANTHONY CARRILLO. Intimate setting with limited capacity, reserve your spot here! Please bring an instrument!
Location: La Escuelita Bombera De Corazon 3505 w. North Ave Chicago IL 60639
Time: 6pm-8pm
Fee: $25
In partnership with Naterod Studio.
Loiza en Chicago! A celebration and Fundraiser!
📣 La Escuelita presenta: LOIZA IN CHICAGO! 💚♥️💛 Saturday JULY 29th 2023!!!
Come and join us Saturday July 29th 6pm at La Escuelita 3505 w North Ave it’s a BIG celebration! Don’t miss out! In celebration of our very own director’s birthday @ivelisse_diaz_ and fundraising efforts for our amazing home La Escuelita! ITS TIME 🔥🔥
Our special guests directly from Loiza:
@penalozapica Marco Peñaloza Pica
@mariealor1 Alondra Marie Ortiz
@dimelojeankii Jean Carlos Osorio
@negron91paintball Luis Negron
🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷
Suggested Donation $10 @door
Live Performance 💃
Silent Auction 👀
New Merch 👕
Don Carlitos Piraguas 🍧
Bombazo , Plenazo & more! 🔥
La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón 💛❤️🖤
La Escuelita at Fiestas Puertorriqueñas 2023
WE ARE OFFICIALLY READY FOR PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL WEEK AND PARADE! La Escuelita at Fiestas Patronales Puertorriqueñas! 2023
June 8th-11th 2023!
We are excited to bring you cultural programming the whole weekend! In partnership with Fiestas Patronales Puertorriqueñas / Puerto Rican Festival!
Check out our calendar! Stop by our tent and visit us! Join our Bombazos y Plenazos! Workshops! Stage Performances!
This year for the very first time La Escuelita will be coming out in the Puerto Rican parade! Waving our flags with the sounds of Puerto Rican cultura! Look out for our float! Saturday June 10th 2023 parade begins at 2pm on Division Street.
La Escuelita Grand Opening
A full day of activities to celebrate La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón’s grand opening!
Batey de Las Mujeres Free Workshop
Free Bomba dance workshop for women led by Ivelisse Diaz and Las Bompleneras in honor of Mes de La Mujer!
Saucy Sunday End of Semester Bombazo
Celebrate the end of La Escuelita’s most recent semester con un bombazo para los estudiantes y toda la comunidad!
Family Day at the MCA
Join Bomberxs D’Cora for a live bomba performance! Families are invited to dance to the music.
La Escuelita’s 13th Year Anniversary
Join us for La Escuelita’s 13th Anniversary, the hottest party of the year, on November 5th! There are only 60 spaces available. Be sure to secure your spot below.
RSVP CLOSED
De Paseo con La Escuelita – Loíza
"De Paseo con La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón", is a week and a half long series of free, covid-safe virtual workshops with mayores, maestros, and artesanos from Guayama, Santurce , Mayagüez, and Loíza. Save the dates! Mark them on your calendars! Tap in!
De Paseo con La Escuelita – Concierto con La Resistencia
"De Paseo con La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón", is a week and a half long series of free, covid-safe virtual workshops with mayores, maestros, and artesanos from Guayama, Santurce , Mayagüez, and Loíza. Save the dates! Mark them on your calendars! Tap in!
De Paseo con La Escuelita – Mayagüez
"De Paseo con La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón", is a week and a half long series of free, covid-safe virtual workshops with mayores, maestros, and artesanos from Guayama, Santurce , Mayagüez, and Loíza. Save the dates! Mark them on your calendars! Tap in!
De Paseo con La Escuelita – Guayama
"De Paseo con La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón", is a week and a half long series of free, covid-safe virtual workshops with mayores, maestros, and artesanos from Guayama, Santurce , Mayagüez, and Loíza. Save the dates! Mark them on your calendars! Tap in!
Saucy Batey – July 24
A collaborative batey open to all voguers and bomberxs as part of the “Navigating Blackness: exploring gener and sexuality in black diasporic traditions” event series and a fundraiser for La Escuelita’s upcoming trip to Puerto Rico. Special guests: Benji Hart and Edrimael Delgado
Navigating Blackness – Navegando lo negro
Navigating Blackness – Navegando lo negro:
Exploring gender and sexuality in Black diasporic traditions
Sip & Paint Fundraiser
Join us Wednesday July 13th for a Sip & Paint with Shervin Olvid at Urban Theater as we fundraise our budget for our second year of "De Paseo con La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón"!
RSVP HERE
Saucy Batey – June
La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón will be hosting special activities as part of the Puerto Rican Fest that celebrate and honor Puerto Rico’s rich Black history and culture of Bomba music. On Sunday June 12, stop by La Escuelita’s station at 2pm for La Escuelita’s Saucy Batey.
Taller de Turbante
La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón will be hosting special activities as part of the Puerto Rican Fest that celebrate and honor Puerto Rico’s rich Black history and culture of Bomba music. On Sunday June 12, stop by La Escuelita’s station at 1pm for a Taller de Turbante by Eli Amaro.
Bombazo en el Barrio
Bombazo para celebrar las Fiestas Patrias Puertorriqueñas en el barrio en la Casita de Don Pedro a las 7pm.
Chicago Children’s Choir – Canto Latino
Our roots are our lifeline, our anchor to the past. This summer, through the theme of Raíces—or roots—Chicago Children's Choir presents Canto Latino, a program that will recognize and celebrate the indigenous and African influences on folk music from Colombia, Peru and Puerto Rico.
Saucy Batey - May
Open batey to practice, heal, and share as a bomba community. Bring your chairs, barriles, cua, maracas, family, and good vibes.