Honduras
Dance Forms Productions brings "The 49th International Choreographers' Showcase" to Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Teatro Nacional Manuel Bonilla
Carolina Boscan/Leipzig Ballet
An Invitation from the Director
Dear Choreographers,
On September 24, 2009 a group of distinguished choreographers will travel to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to be featured in "The 49th International Choreographers' Showcase," a presentation of Dance-Forms Productions for the Danza Libre Dance Schools Festival to be held at Teatro Nacional Manuel Bonilla in Tegucigalpa on September 25 and 26, 2009.
This exciting trip will offer choreographers an excellent opportunity to perform their work, make contact with the press, numerous dance directors, producers, presenters, other artists, (hopefully to negotiate new engagements!) and to earn a share of the revenue from ticket sales of the two performances. A dynamic platform for the promotion and presentation of contemporary dance, "The International Choreographers' Showcase" is a mini market where many presenters get together to select dance works for their programs.
I invite choreographers who are willing to invest in themselves and who are interested in expanding their knowledge of other cultures, as well as promoting their work abroad. I invite choreographers who see this thrilling event as an opportunity to benefit their professional development.
You receive a complete production package, which includes: the theaters, lighting, sound, technical assistance, publicity, pre-show rehearsal arrangements, printed materials, printed programs, and hotel accommodation based on two persons sharing twin bedded rooms with private bath/shower.
To find out how to qualify, and the investment required, call my office at (502) 222-2273. Remember, the space is limited, so please call right away. You may call from Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 9 A.M. and 9 P.M. Eastern Time.
After we have spoken be prepared to submit your professional resume, 4 full body pictures for publicity, program notes, and a VHS video with samples of the work you will present. Remember, the space is limited, so pick up the phone and contact us now! You may e-mail us at any time. Our e-mail is: danceformspro@aol.com
Dance the World with Dance-Forms Productions! Let's do it now!
Don't wait, if you have further questions, you can check our FAQ page, e-mail us by clicking on danceformspro@aol.com or speak personally with me by calling (502) 222-2273.
I look forward to your participation, and to greeting you in Madrid.
Susana B. Williams
Director
DANCE-FORMS PRODUCTIONS
Welcome to Honduras
Tegucigalpa is the capital city of Honduras and is also the country's largest city. Tegucigalpa is also the capital of Honduras's Francisco Morazán Department.
Etymology of the Name
It is a common belief among Tegucigalpans that the name of their city comes from the Maya-Nahuatl "Taguz Galpan" which would mean Silver Mountain (Cerro de Plata). The name is used as a reference of the Honduran capital by everyone as well as official institutions. Some scholars believe though, that this translation was given to the native name of the settlement by the Spanish conquistadors when they found rich silver ores in the surrounding hills of Tegus. A more accurate etymology of Tegucigalpa according to studies, would be that the name has its origins in the Maya-Nahuatl vocable "Tecuztli-Calli-Pan," translating in english to "Place where Nobles have their houses."
Plaza Central
History
Tegucigalpa was founded by Spanish settlers as "Real Villa de San Miguel de Heredia de Tegucigalpa" on September 29, 1578 on the site of an existing native settlement. Before and after independence, the city was a mining center for silver and gold. The capital of the independent Republic of Honduras switched back and forth between Tegucigalpa and Comayagua until it was permanently settled here in 1880. It is said that the society of Comayagua, the long-time colonial capital of Honduras, publicly disliked the wife of President Marco Aurelio Soto, who took revenge by moving the capital to Tegucigalpa. However, it is more likely that the change took place because President Soto was an important partner of the Rosario Mining Company, an American silver mining company, whose operations where based in San Juancito, away from Tegucigalpa, and he needed to be closer to his personal interests.
The city remained relatively small and provincial until the 1970s when immigration from the rural areas began in earnest. During the 1980s, several avenues, some traffic overpasses, and large buildings were erected, a relative novelty to a city characterized until then by two-story buildings. Tegucigalpa continues to sprawl far beyond its former colonial core, towards the east, south and west, creating a large but disorganized new metropolis.
The city's main buildings include the former Presidential Palace now a national museum, a 20th-century Legislative Palace, the headquarters of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration ( the campus of the National University of Honduras founded in 1847, an 18th-century cathedral, and the Basilica of the Virgin of Suyapa.
Industrial production, small and mostly for local consumption, has increased since the 1970s with improved roadways. Products include textiles, clothing, sugar, cigarettes, lumber, plywood, paper, ceramics, cement, glass, metalwork, plastics, chemicals, tires, electrical appliances, and farm machinery. Some maquiladora duty-free assembly plants have been established since the 1990s in an industrial park in the Amarateca valley, on the northern highway. Silver, lead, and zinc are still mined in the outskirts of the city.
Geography
The city is located on a chain of mountains at 14°5'N 87°13'W, at an elevation of 990 m 3,250 feet. The Choluteca river, which crosses the city from south to north, physically separates Tegucigalpa and its sister city Comayagüela. El Picacho hill, a rugged mountain of moderate height convert rises above the downtown area; several neighborhoods, both residential and shanty town, are located on its slopes. The city consists of gentle hills, and the ring of mountains surrounding the city tends to trap pollution. During the dry season, a dense cloud of smoke lingers in the basin until the first rains fall.
Of all the major Central American cities, Tegucigalpa's climate is among the most pleasant due to its high altitude. Like much of central Honduras, the city has a tropical climate, though tempered by the altitude—meaning less humid than the lower valleys and the coastal regions—with even temperatures averaging between 19 and 23 degrees Celsius 66 to 74 °F. The months of December and January are coolest, whereas March and April—popularly associated with Holy Week’s holidays—are hottest and driest. Precipitation is spread unevenly through the year; during the Caribbean hurricane season June to November, it may reach 920 mm 36 in at the end of a normal day.
Two Capitals In One
For all practical purposes the capital of Honduras is Tegucigalpa, but some sources note that two “cities” share that designation. Chapter 1, Article 8, of the Honduran constitution states translated, "The cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela, jointly, constitute the Capital of the Republic." Chapter 11, Article 295, translates, "The Central District consists of a single municipality made up of the former municipalities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela"; however, municipalities are defined in Honduras as political entities similar to counties, and they may contain one or more cities. In a decree of October 30, 1880, President Marco Aurelio Soto established a permanent seat of government in Tegucigalpa, and in 1907 the episcopal now archiepiscopal see was translated there. On March 15, 1938, General Tiburcio Carías Andino and the National Congress declared that Comayagüela was a barrio neighbourhood of Tegucigalpa, the national capital. Today some government offices are listed with Comayagüela addresses, but the area is considered a part of Tegucigalpa.
Places of interest
There are several conventional tourist attractions in Tegucigalpa. Some interesting places include:
There are several charming colonial villages within easy driving distance from Tegucigalpa: Santa Lucia (12 km/7 mi away), Valle de Angeles (21 km/13 mi away), Ojojona, Yuscaran and San Juancito. Each has its own distinct character and sense of history and all of them make easy day-trips out of the city. Museums
Tegucigalpa, as a colonial city, has several barrios in the oldest districts of the city and Comayaguela, and colonias, in the new ones. None of them have well-defined limits, which tend to be up to the city-dwellers' will, or even town-centers. There are some main avenues, but not into downtown. Except for the latter (also called boulevards), like all the Central American cities, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason as to how streets are named, making orientation and driving rather difficult to first-time visitors to the city. Colonia Palmira, a wealthy neighborhood to the east of the city center on the Boulevard Morazan, hosts many of the foreign embassies as well as upscale restaurants. Lomas del Guijarro, Loma Linda , and Miramontes are upscale neighborhoods that house most of the apartment complexes in the city . The best hotels in the city are found around these districts too. These include: Mariott Hotel, Clarion Hotel, Hotel El Centenario, Intercontinental, Honduras Maya, Plaza Del Libertador, Plaza San Martin, Hotel Alameda, Excelsior Hotel and Casino.
Shopping Centers
The epicenter of shopping in Tegucigalpa is Multiplaza, a multi-level indoor shopping mall that includes a major grocery store, a movie theater complex, restaurants, banking and of course, many retail shops. Newer malls include Las Cascadas and MetroMall, both with stores and restaurants. MetroMall includes a sizeable movie theater complex.
Smaller shopping centers and strip malls can be found all over the city, including Los Castanos, El Dorado, and the new Los Proceres center.
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