This past April, Madison, Wisconsin's Call for Peace Drum and Dance Company were the guests of the University of Puerto Rico (U-PR) and U-PR at Cayey in honor of their Peace Week by invitation of Chancellor Ram Lamba, Prof. Jessica Gaspar, Pres. Antonio Garcia Padilla (who presides over 11 campuses), and the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau. For almost two decades, Dawn Lindoff Shegonee has been dedicated to the mission and message of Call for Peace, leading the performance throughout the U.S. and around the world, whcih has included Germany, Russia, Egypt, and Italy. Puerto Rico has been just one stop of many in her journey of peace.
Angel Rodriguez, an artist in Puerto Rico, created a poster (right) that captured the essence that Call for Peace is interconnected. The Spanish words around the globe mean, "From all nations, they Come Dancing."
Jessica Gaspar, a U-PR professor of theater, dance and the humanities, a graduate of UW-Madison, and a Call for Peace Puerto Rican dancer, had this to say about the performance in her country: "[Call for Peace] has allowed me to know a diversity of cultures and people; secondly, it has been a vital tool to activate a consciousness about the power of transformation through dance and music; and thirdly, because of the necessity of peace in our world. When I started dancing for Call for Peace, my country was fighting for the peace in Vieques, PR. The U.S. Marines were bombarding the island of Vieques. Call for Peace allowed me to dedicate the performance to the people who were fighting for peace in my country. This experience of dancing allowed me a space to inform people of what was happening in Vieques and to tell them the importance of peace. For me now to be a part of bringing this magnificent performance and message of peace to my country makes me very happy." |
