The Nevada State Museum in Carson City is celebrating Dia De Los Muertos from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
New this year, the event will feature a dance performance, “The Journey from Grief to Peace,” led by Tami Castillo Shelton. Day of the Dead is a multicultural celebration of life through death. Participants learn to deal with loss and grief by celebrating the lives of dear ones that have passed away.
The museum’s observance includes crafts for all ages, bilingual stories sponsored by Carson City Library, special exhibits, a video and lecture. Deborah Stevenson, curator of education, will present “Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life” at 11 a.m. Face painting is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A performance by Angeles de Guadalupe, a dance group from St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, is at 1 p.m. and Shelton’s portion begins at 2 p.m. In addition to an interpretive dance depicting the transformation from grief and loss to joy and peace, Shelton will lead a discussion on the meaning of Day of the Dead. She will also lead and teach Los Viejitos, a folkloric dance that depicts “old ones.”
Dance of the old men, “Danza de los Viejitos” is a piece of theater and dance from the island of Janitzio, Michoacán. It is a humorous pantomime where the actors wear masks of old people along with their typical clothing. The piece starts out with aching and hunched over old men, with minimal movements that turn into vigorous choreography that has come to represent the richness of life expressed as a physical metaphor as a gift to Baby Jesus.
Bilingual volunteers will be available to assist children of all ages. Sponsors include the Nevada Appeal, Radio Lazer, Entravision, Angeles de Guadalupe, Tami Castillo Shelton, Lynzie Ruecker, Centro Market, Western Nevada College Association of Latin-American Students, Carson City Library, Claudia Aguilar Torres, Eric N. Cornejo-Leon, Miriam Silis, and Friends of the Nevada State Museum.
Admission is $8 for adults and free for museum members and ages 17 and younger. For more information, contact Stevenson at dstevenson@nevadaculture.org or 775-687-4810, ext. 237, or go to museums.nevadaculture.org.
