“It belongs in a museum!”
One of Fredericksburg’s cultural nonprofits is dancing its way into the Smithsonian.
Semilla Cultura and their brand of Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena dance will join four other community dance groups from around the state of Virginia selected for “Dance Revolution,” a year-long initiative culminating with a video mini-series and performance at the 2026 Richmond Folk Festival this fall.
It’s all part of the “By the People: Conversations Beyond 250” initiative honoring the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
“Dance has a long history in Virginia and it remains an important part of our individual wellness and community celebrations,” wrote Virginia state folklorist Katy Clune in an April press release.
In addition to Fredericksburg’s Semilla Cultural, the following groups will be featured in the “Dance Revolution” program:
Native American dance with Red Crook-ed Sky (Intertribal, Hampton Roads)
Flatfoot, clogging and square dance with The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail (Fries, Coeburn, & Blacksburg)
Soul line dance with Positive Force Line Steppaz (Buckingham County)
Bharatanatyam, South Indian classical dance with Thapasya School of Dance (Ashburn)
All five groups will shoot “Dance Revolution” episodes that include conversations, workshops, and of course, dancing. Each will debut in the fall on digital podcast platforms and YouTube before they’re archived by the Smithsonian Institution, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.
The “Dance Revolution” focus concludes with a five-partner presentation from October 10th-11th at the Richmond Folk Festival. The five dance groups will provide cross-cultural “workshops, performances and conversations,” according to the Virginia Folklife Program.
“Bomba and Plena are more than music and dance, they are a living expression of resistance, joy, memory, and community,” wrote Semilla Cultural founder and director Isha M. Renta López.
“We are honored to participate in a project that recognizes community dance as an essential cultural practice that brings people together across generations and backgrounds.”
Since 2014, Semilla Cultural has taught about Afro-Puerto Rican music, dance and culture throughout the region, including holding numerous community events in downtown Fredericksburg’s Market Square.
Learn more about the “Dance Revolution” program at bit.ly/4xN5TVA.
