MESTIZO
A multi-disciplinary evening of collected stories of the Mexican-American experience. MESTIZO is a Mexican term for a “mixed” person. It was a term used to devalue people whose ancestry includes Indigenous bloodlines. As Mexican people, our histories are painfully entwined with both our Indigenous ancestors and our Spanish colonizers. So much of our Indigenous history was stripped from us through centuries of cultural erasure and genocide. Assimilation was the way we survived extinction, but defiance and resilience was threaded in the ways we stealthily passed our cultural practices through the colonial lens. MESTIZO bravely reclaims our Indigenous heritage and reframes Mexican history as one that is rich with an abundance of ancestral knowledge, resilience and imagination.
SPECIAL THANK YOU: We are so grateful for Mini Mart City Park and their generous support of this project. They have graciously hosted us from start to finish and provided a beautiful container for meaningful exploration, cultural arts engagement, and community. From the bottom of our hearts. Thank you.
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Alicia Mullikin
EL SUEÑO DIRECTOR
Alicia Mullikin is a first generation Mexican-American dance artist, educator, and the founder of EL SUEÑO. Her work weaves ancient and contemporary identities into physical manifestations by drawing from her rich cultural experiences and deep-rooted ancestral ties.This year she was selected as an Arts Advocacy Leadership Fellow by the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures and she recently received the ARC Artist Fellowship for Indigenous artists from 4Culture. Through all of her work, Alicia aims to empower historically marginalized communities and nurture the next generation of dance artists.
Instagram @el.sueno.dance
Tessa Bañales
PRODUCTION MANAGER
TESSA BAÑALES (she/her), a Persian, Mexican American movement artist, and collaborator based in Seattle, WA. Tessa currently is a Production Stage Manager at Teatro Zinzanni and Stage Manages in theaters across Seattle. Tessa works towards representing and empowering the communities around her, and bringing those stories to the forefront. She chooses to engage with companies like EL SUEÑO that aim to bring art and empowerment to marginalized communities. As a dancer in EL SUEÑO Tessa was able to mix her passion with her knowledge of backstage and dance to call attention to the stories of our past and the dreams for our future.
Instagram: @td.banalescollabs
Devin Muñoz
FILM MAKER & DANCER
DEVIN MUÑOZ is a Mexican-American dancer and film maker in Seattle. Her community-based approach to capturing movement has led her to collaborate with many artists and businesses in the PNW, such as EL SUEÑO, TomboyX, PRICEarts, KaisaFit and others to bring their vision to life. Devin aims to create purposeful archives for reflection and to inspire others to do the same.
Instagram @munoz_motions
Tlalókan
DANZA FROM CEM ANAHUAK
TLALÓKAN is a cultural group dedicated to sharing the beauty of Anáhuac history, philosophy and living Indigenous peoples through danza and music with traditional instruments. Their goal is to inspire deeper connections to our ancestral pasts, and our spirits in the present.
Instagram @tlalokan.seattle
Maria Muñoz
CURANDERA SPIRITUAL GUIDE
MARIA MUÑOZ is a first generation Mexican-American, spiritual guide, and energy healing practitioner in Seattle. She is guided between realms to bring healing and connection by continuing the work started by her ancestors. She trusts the unseen, understanding we are all connected beyond time and dimensions.
Instagram @lightowlhealing
Mia Berber
CHOREOGRAPHER & DANCER
MIA BERBER is a movement artist of Indigenous and Afro descent from El Salvador and Mexico. She is currently based in East LA. She uses movement as a holistic practice to heal generational trauma and raises questions about how Black and Brown women are viewed in our society. Her work explores Hip-Hop and House movement within Theater dance.
Instagram @chingona09
Mauro Murillo
VISUAL ARTIST
MAURO MURILLO was born in Coahuila, Mexico and moved to San Antonio, TX in 1995. He is a DACA recipient and dreamer who uses art to speak to his unique experience. His mediums include acrylic, graphite, charcoal, aluminum, paper maché, papel picado, and others. His work embraces nostalgia as a way to evoke memory and spark appreciation for Mexican culture.
Instagram @mauromurillo_art
Maribel Galvan
VISUAL ARTIST
MARIBEL GALVAN was born in Los Angeles but has called the Northwest home for two decades. Her Mexicana roots are reflected in her art and pieces are inspired by the strong mujeres in her life—sharing lessons passed down of empowerment, living unapologetically authentic, ancestral connection, and unconditional self-love.
Instagram @mariglvn
Marco A. Piceno
FILM ARTIST
MARCO A. PICENO was born in Tenochtitlan Mexico. He navigates art as a Motionographer/Animator and video editor. He practices traditional Indigenous medicine such as herbalism, therapeutic massage/cupping, Nahuatl chants, cleanses, Toltecayotl philosophy, and Aztec-Chichimeca danza- All to decolonize, discipline, empower his roots, and be more connected with Mother Earth.
Instagram @intento_nahual