Flamenco!
Latin Dance in 1930s Chicago
Dance Costumes of Alfredo & Rosita
CHICAGO, Aug. 18, 2003 -- With its
stirring music and elaborate costumes, Latin music and dancing took
Chicago -- and the nation -- by storm in the 1930s. The Chicago
Historical Society (CHS) will present a showing of original Latin dance
ensembles in the new costume collection exhibition Flamenco! Latin Dance
in 1930s Chicago, on view September 6, 2003, through February 15, 2004,
at CHS, at Clark Street and North Avenue, Chicago.
Two flamenco performers from the 1930s
through the 1950s were Chicago- based Alfredo Cano and Bertha "Rosita"
Musquiz who played to sold-out houses across the country, including
performances in the Spanish and Mexican villages at Chicago's 1933
Century of Progress Exposition.
Their dazzling costumes, which were
theatrical versions of Spanish and Mexican dress, never failed to amaze
the crowds. This exhibition of their costumes -- which includes fabulous
garments such as a man's bullfighting costume of gold and red satin and
a woman's flamenco dress of yellow satin trimmed with black lace --
tells the story of Cano and Musquiz during the heyday of flamenco.
"The history of costume and
fashion in Chicago includes wonderful influences from so many cultures,
as seen in the beautiful outfits worn by Alfredo and Rosita,"
states Tim Long, Collection Manager for Costumes at CHS.
"Immigrants coming here brought distinctive clothes that presented
their cultural history, which added to the great mix of society in
Chicago. We are thrilled to tell Alfredo's and Rosita's story through
these costumes."
Cano left his Mexican ranch in 1922
and moved to Chicago to join his cousins and to study Spanish dance. In
1930 he met Musquiz, a native of San Antonio, Texas. Together, the
husband and wife team toured the country for over 20 years. Bertha
Musquiz Cano donated over 50 of the couple's costume pieces to the
Chicago Historical Society in 1987.
Detailed embroidery, stitching,
sequins, rhinestones and tassels accent Rosita's dresses and Alfredo's
outfits. Also presented in this showing are the hats Alfredo wore and
Spanish shawls worn by Musquiz. The Flamenco! display will also show
photos of the couple in their various costumes.
All items in this show are from the
Chicago Historical Society's Hope B. McCormick Costume Center, one of
the nation's largest collections of clothing and fashion accessories.
Flamenco! Latin Dance in 1930s Chicago opens on September 6, 2003, in
the museum's Costume Alcoves and runs through February 15, 2004, at the
Chicago Historical Society.
The Chicago Historical Society, a
major museum and research center for Chicago and American history, is
located on Clark Street at North Avenue, and can be reached by CTA buses
11, 22, 36, 72, 151 and 156. Public parking is conveniently located one
block north of CHS at Clark and LaSalle Streets (enter on Stockton
Drive). The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays
from noon to 5:00 p.m. Suggested admission is $5 for adults; $3 for
seniors and students (ages 13-22) with valid school IDs; $1 for children
(ages 6-12); free for members and children under 6. Admission is free on
Mondays.
Flamenco!
Latin Dance in 1930s Chicago