Description
From Mexico Tenochtitlan, the urban island Atepehuacan and the exuberant mountains of Veracruz a multidisciplinary performing traveler visits schools, libraries, community centers, parks, and theatre venues national and internationally. Laura Crotte brings to life myths, legends, traditional celebrations, songs and stories from multicultural Mexico. Interactive lectures, Sing-along sessions, Professional Development workshops for teachers and parents, Art and Culture residencies, Solo and ensemble performances featuring masks, puppets, music, dance, and poetry. "On the day of the dead"- celebration in all formats exploring the pre-Columbian origins, Spanish colonial influence and contemporary syncretism of this extraordinary celebration, "The Americas"-stories of the continent´s population, "Tres corazones"-featuring ancient civilizations and their multicultural roots, "Canta y Cuenta"-songs and stories from Mexican and Latin American tradition-for infants, PK-12 students, teachers, parents and communities. Laura Crotte, as a union theater actress, performs in English and Spanish at numerous main stages in Chicago and beyond. Credits in film and as vocalist in concerts or recordings are part of her body of work; as well as being a Solo performer, deviser, designer and constructor of masks, costumes, props, and musical compositions. Laura Crotte has been a Chicago resident for over 20 years and a performer and teaching artist for over 4 decades.
Work Sample
Día de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead-Multiple Formats. We provide an experience incorporating Poetry, Dance, Music, Masks, Puppets, Crafts, and Performance exploring the Pre-Hispanic origins, the Colonial Influence, and the Contemporary Syncretism of this spectacular Mexican Tradition. "En el Día de Muertos celebramos la vida"(On Day of the Dead, we celebrate life) has the following formats: * Interactive Lecture including projections, big rod puppets, and audience participation with poetry and song (2h). *Installation setting where groups visit this room/museum during the day (40 min each class), they listen, learn, see, touch, and practice (A whole school day). *Solo or Ensemble performance including dance, music, masks, puppets, installation, and projections (1.5h). *Residency 2-3 weeks prepping a student performance where they will show and tell about this tradition with creations of their own (3 days min-3 weeks max). *Professional Development workshop for teachers including information and materials on how to work this celebration in their classroom (2-4h). *Parent Engagement Training (2-3h). Students PK-12, Teachers, Parents, School Community. This early November celebration could still be a Hispanic Heritage activity including some or all of the above. We have all elements to tailor the activity to your community.
Mexican culture, history, linguistic heritage, songs, dances, crafts, myths and stories. Multiple formats to work in schools, community centers, libraries. "Mexicolors" is an interactive presentation with projections, songs, movement, masks and installations featuring the multiethnic, multilinguistic, multi-cultural Mexico. History, architecture, textiles, ceramics, biodiversity, produce, myths and stories are the main topic of this performance that could be tailored to different audiences. Spanish/English/Bilingual formats. "The Americas" is an interactive presentation with projections, songs, movement, masks and installations exploring the different theories about the continent´s population. It expands the concept of America as a sole country understanding the unity as well as the multiplicity of civilizations, ethnic groups, languages, geography, and produce in many regions. It presents the different expeditions exploring possible migrations from Africa or Asia before European arrival. "Tres corazones" is an interactive presentation, a workshop, or a 4wk residency where students dive deep into 3 different civilizations in Mesoamerica: Teotihuacán-central Mexico, Totonacos-Gulf Coast-Northern Veracruz, and Olmecs/Mayas-Southeastern Peninsula. During this residency the students, teachers, and participants experience, practice, create, research, perform music, songs, poetry, stories, myths and legends featuring these different civilizations: perfect curriculum connection.
The work samples are trying to feature the many different presentations, concerts, classes, workshops, and trainings I perform in a variety of settings (parks, libraries, community centers, schools). It shows a third part of my body of work, corresponding to what I consider educational, community, and cultural work. There is an effort of cultural heritage exposure and preservation in this portion of my work. I am as well a working union theatre actress featured in main theatres locally, nationally and sporadically internationally performing in English and Spanish. Additionally, I have my own creations, interventions, artistic projects that tend to be exploration of new performing languages where I experiment creating my own masks, costumes, props and elements as well as devising and structuring my own performances.
History
Born in Mexico-Tenochtitlan, Laura Crotte was stage actress, vocalist, dance instructor, and deviser of own productions since an early age. A decade in Veracruz training mask techniques, dance, and psychotherapy working as Non-verbal Communication professor, voice-over artist; translating, producing, and touring national and internationally with puppets, musical, and original productions. Crotte has been in Chicago 23 years as union theatre actress performing in English in full productions, stage readings and developmental workshops; touring to CO, PA, CA, and WI. She has performed in Spanish in Peru, Argentina, Cuba, Canada, and extensively Mexico. Bilingual educator, art and culture consultant, teaching artist, music instructor, professional development trainer, and performer throughout numerous schools, libraries, community centers in Illinois, Wisconsin, NW Arkansas, and Mexico. She has directed, adapted, and devised theatrical pieces; designing and constructing costumes, masks, music, movement, and sound for community performances as well as Goodman Theatre- who produced her own adaptation of Lorca´s Blood Wedding. She trains parents involved in education, early learning, literacy and bilingualism. As vocalist, composing, concerts, and recordings are her credits. McArthur Foundation supported a binational cultural exchange she designed and produced between community organizers and artists, scholars, women/indigenous rights leaders from Chicago and Multicultural Mexico.
Artistic Vision
My work lives in the performing arts world where sound, music, song, poetry, storytelling, masks, puppets, costume design, movement, dance, choreographic design dialogue with spaces (theatres, parks, classrooms, libraries) and audiences. My main interest is to explore, experiment, train, or gain ownership until it becomes a new language to express, to tell, to pose questions or reflections on current situations. I always work around traditional dance, song, poetry, stories, myths, fabrics, costumes, masks, archetypes, sculptures from Pre-Hispanic, Pueblos Originarios, Folkloric, or Popular Mexican heritage to find new meanings for a migrant community struggling with identity, with status, and survival. Pre-Hispanic-syncretic-intercultural expressions, immersed in the power of nature, evolution-development of mysteries, survival, and ever-changing worlds are some of my lines of work. Sometimes a lone-wolf deviser of ritualistic space interventions, non-verbal, vocal sound-filled experiences. Mask, movement, anthropology of theatre explorer who experiments with "presence" in a variety of spaces.
Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise
My performances, interactive workshops, residencies, and trainings have frequently targeted Spanish speaking communities or non-Spanish speaking interested in learning about Mexican culture, Bilingual teachers and mentors interested in Bilingualism, Intercultural Education and Literacy, PK-5th students, as well as general audiences. Experience and non-verbal language skills to work with very young audiences (0-4).
Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement
Although I am not specifically working on featuring traditional folklore per se, it is always present in all my work through fabrics, costumes, props, masks, poetry, music, songs, stories, and projections. I always introduce myself connecting my ethnic and cultural heritage, and much of my educational performances, residencies, and lectures are based on such heritage. I find that my cultural work with communities allows connections to people from same heritage strengthening or nurturing identities, and to others to find similarities or distinctions awakening curiosity and understanding. Presenting the rich multi-lingual, multi-ethnic nature of Mexican identity almost always vibrates with the multi-cultural reality of Chicagoland. The need of working, venerating, nurturing inter-cultural skills is extremely beneficial to our society, city, neighborhoods, and communities.
Name
Laura Crotte
Type
Individual Artist
Address
PO Box 891238
Chicago, IL 60608
Contact Person
Laura Crotte
[email protected]
773.220.0076
Web Site
Artistic Discipline(s)
Music
-Folk/Traditional
Spoken Word/Storytelling
Theater
- Solo
- Youth/Family
Geographic Availability
Chicago/Chicagoland
Fee Ranges
$200-$2,000
Additional Services
Demonstrations
Lectures
Master classes
Residencies
Teacher Development
Workshops
Core Audience(s)
Adult
Bilingual
- Spanish
Children