On Friday evening, the rhythms and “zapateos” of Paraguayan folk dance will take the stage at the “Tierra y Tradición” showcase, which celebrates Latin American cultural heritage and resilience.

Organized and choreographed entirely by Veronica Paez-Deggeller ’25, the performance is composed of seven dances: two skirt dances, two partner dances, two hat dances and Paez-Deggeller’s solo performance. Funded by Berkeley College’s Creative and Performing Arts Award, Paez-Deggeller’s project aims to introduce her audience to the Paraguayan art style through a combination of her favorite songs and dances, she said. 

“I was ok with straying from tradition,” said Paez-Deggeller. “I think a lot of cross-cultural collaboration is happening within these performances, so maybe the Paraguayan who is a seasoned folk dancer would look at this and be like ‘That’s not necessarily how we do it,’ but that’s kind of what I was going for.” 

Paez-Deggeller discovered her own love for dance when she joined Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale after transferring to the university last year. Inspired, she turned to Paraguayan folk dance as a means to connect to her own culture. 

While in Paraguay last summer to conduct research for her senior thesis, Paez-Deggeller decided to take dance classes with the goal of showcasing the dance form at Yale’s annual LatinExcellence showcase. When this event was cancelled, she began developing an idea that eventually became her “Tierra y Tradición” performance.

“From the beginning I wanted this to be a really collaborative process,” said Paez-Deggeller. “Along the way I always asked for feedback, I always asked people what they thought and if there was another step they wanted to do or incorporate.”

Many of the dancers performing in “Tierra y Tradición” are also members of Ballet Folklórico, introducing an element of cultural exchange to the showcase. 

While Mexican and Paraguayan styles of folk dance share many similarities, the Paraguayan variety tends to be bouncier and more lively, according to Paez-Deggeller. The performance maintains the spirit of Paraguayan folk dance but also incorporates a few less traditional steps.

“The skirt’s role for Paraguayan dances is a lot more feminine and not as harsh. The skirts don’t stomp like they do in BF,” said Karla Leyva ’27, one of the performers. “A lot of it for me was research outside trying to understand what the role of the skirt was in this dance.”

Leyva is performing a skirt dance titled “Fantasía Guaraní” at the showcase. This piece is a slower, solemn dance with a nationalist theme, she said. This somber tone contrasts with most Mexican folk dances, in which performers are expected to smile throughout. 

Leyva said that she hoped to choreograph pieces with more melancholic moods in the future, particularly in the style of Veracruz dance.    

“It’s really nice when you hear one of your friends talking about a project that they’re super passionate about and super excited about,” said Leyva about choreographer Paez-Deggeller. “Prior to all of us joining, she gave us a presentation of the history of each dance and how she chose each dance for us. It felt very personal.”

This personal touch was partially a result of the smaller group environment fostered by Paez-Deggeller. Her project was open to dancers of all levels, from beginners to seasoned folk performers. 

“It was my first time dancing formally, and Veronica created a really comfortable and welcoming environment where I felt like I could make mistakes and ask questions,” wrote Andrea Terrero ’27, another performer. “It was definitely challenging at first, but Veronica helped me through it, and it was really satisfying to be able to get the steps.”

Terrero is performing in one of the hat dances, “Alamos al viento.” The piece is a traditional Paraguayan dance symbolizing a love story between a hat and a skirt. 

Paez-Deggeller expressed her excitement at being able to share her culture with Yale students, particularly given the limited representation of Paraguayans at the university and more generally in the United States.  

“While we’re a small community, I feel like being able to bring this even to people who aren’t necessarily Paraguayan has been able to fill a lot of love in my heart and create this small community that can appreciate an art style that I feel is so underappreciated,” said Paez-Deggeller.

Paez-Degeller and her fellow dancers will be performing at the Lighten Theater tonight at 8 p.m.