The University of Texas at El Paso’s (UTEP) Department of Theatre and Dance kicked off the semester with their spring 2026 production “Slow Emergences: Moving Through Crises, Dance as Opportunity” an 80-minute show centered in a collective reflection on crises and radical imagination to support long-term livability and transformation.
UTEP dance professor, Rayven Leticia Armijo, said the planning of this production began back in fall 2025, where Sandra Paola Lopez Ramirez, Andrea Saucedo Estala, Dr. Tawanda Chabikwa, UTEP Dance Director Melissa Melpignano and Armijo each choreographed one of the five pieces that composed this show. From healthcare to climate, social welfare and pedagogy, each dance showcased how these topics can be transformative in one’s life and some used it as a way of honoring communities and environments, just like Armijo did with her Chicano Folklorico piece “Cosmica Lluvia.”
“The ‘slow emergence’ of my piece was that ‘Lluvia’ is a celebration of the contributions of my mother, Carol, a pioneer in Chicano folklorico, and how her work keeps transforming and celebrating life even after her death,” Armijo said. “Chicano and indigenous cultures have gone through non-linear changes, and we embrace this change in this piece, yet we maintain the essence of Folklorico and complex space we have as Chicanos.”
The show opened on Feb. 19 and lasted until Feb. 22. The crew was composed of students, faculty and alumni. Some pieces were made in collaboration with foreign artists, such as Omar Joel Camargo Sandoval from Juárez, Chihuahua, a visual artist who did a live Sumi-e painting technique on stage during Andrea Saucedo Estala contemporary dance work “Aceite de Olivo y un Café.”
As the opening piece of the show “Slow Emergences,” “Shapeshifters” was a dance that embodied research methodology for improvised performance to honor the riparian ecosystem of the Rio Grande valley offers.
“Dancing alongside Sandoval while he created a live Sumi-e painting was truly one of the most authentic and unique experiences I’ve ever had as a performer,” senior performer Evelyn Estela said. “He did so much more than just a panting onstage, he guided us through the cultural and historical roots of Sumi-e and helped us understand its meditative foundation by visually presenting presence and intentionality.”
The show concluded with Melpignano’s healthcare-focused piece “Carrying Change,” where UTEP professors Elizabeth Camacho, Janise Tinsman and Amelia Rau performed among the theater and dance students on stage.
“At first I was a little skeptical about how this dance was going to play out, as I was really nervous about how they would feel being on stage as it is something they’re not used to,” sophomore performer Mia Arras said. “This performance helped me realize that everyone is equally nervous or excited, everyone is human, and we all go through the same experiences in some way no matter the outcome.”
The event brought communities together through cultural representation, awareness to topics that affect our current environment, and celebrating identity through the emerging changes we experience day by day.
Lesly Chavez is a contributor photographer and may be reached at [email protected] and social media @pics.by.lesly
