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Machismo by Rosa Sierra Flores

The Last Dance, New Beginning

For my senior capstone project, I decided to create a 2-D animation that captures the meaning and/or characteristics of machismo and how to prevent it from happening in our life, as well as in the future. By using animation, this project intends to use different Latinx dances and a storyline in a visual format where the actions and movements of our characters can capture these three main ideas. The use of Latinx dance was to emphasize a power unbalance often seen in machismo culture, where one partner is often believed or seen to be more powerful than the other. However, in Latinx dance, or any dance in general, the power of both partners is often balanced and shared. Using the juxtaposition of these two ideas, I use it to define what machismo is and how we can step away from it and help others around us.

The Latin dances used in the animation are salsa, bachata, and merengue, dances often danced with partners and where one of the partners is leading the other in their steps and movement. They also vary in rhythm and speed, as dances such as salsa and merengue can be very fast and wild; however, if not led well or an unbalanced power is seen between the partners, can seem messy and dangerous. Bachata is more slow-paced in movement and in the music, where it becomes sensual and hypnotizing if done correctly, but over-sexual and uncomfortable if done incorrectly. I used these dances specifically because of the thin line between it becoming messy or beautiful, all depending on the energy and balance of the partners.

The story within the dance gives more background of what the message behind the animation is about; we’re focusing on the effects of machismo on women or anyone who is seen as inferior. Dance is used to compliment the overall message, not define it. The animation of the main character as she opens her eyes to the effects of machismo and what it does, as well as helping people around her, is what I hope to achieve with animation.