Blending dance styles

Raquel Cordova has her heart set on developing a new dance company, combining contemporary ballet and modern dance styles with a dash of Peruvian panache.

The Burbank resident is artistic director of Creations Dance Theatre along with fellow dancer Felicia Guzman. Cordova’s husband, Anthony Flores, is chief financial officer.

Incorporated in July, the company performed Sunday at the TriArt Festival in San Pedro and will introduce their methods to students during upcoming workshops at dance studios in Glendale and La Cañada Flintridge.

Cordova began dancing at age 3 in Lima, Peru. She trained with Meredith Baylis, former member of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, after arriving in the United States. She later attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and at the same time was a junior member of the Pacific American Ballet Theatre.

She has had principal roles with Southern California Dance Theatre and continues to dance with Media City Ballet of Los Angeles.

She wants to implement Peruvian and Latin influences in the new company’s repertoire.

“Our dance style is a contemporary blend of ballet, modern, jazz and hip-hop with Peruvian and Latin influences,” she said.

During Sunday’s performance in San Pedro, the company performed “Creations,” blending all those styles into one piece and using taped Afro-Peruvian music, Cordova said.

“This was a performance we did without pay,” she said. “We’re nonprofit. We’re bringing it to the community to expose youth to other ways of expression.”

To teach the style to younger dancers, the company is offering workshops, at $30 per person, which goes toward covering the costs of costumes, marketing and website fees, she said.

The workshops are from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Karavan Dance Studio in Glendale and 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at Vonder Haar Center for Performing Arts in La Cañada Flintridge.

Exposure to new styles is integral for those wanting to pursue a dance career, Cordova said. Their three-hour workshop is followed by a live performance by members of the company.

Guzman received her early training at the Vladimir Marek Ballet Academy in San Antonio. She is a soloist with the Media City Ballet and member of the Kenneth Walker Dance Project. Guzman’s heritage is Mexican American, and she said her Latin background allows her an understanding of the Peruvian traditions and culture.

She believes the Latin aspect will attract a larger audience than classical ballet.

“When you think of classical ballet, it’s traditionally had a limited audience,” she said. “So through our workshops as we emphasize the Latin influences, we can hopefully reach a wider audience of young dancers from different backgrounds.”

A lot of the students at Karavan Dance Studio are excited about the workshop, said Karine Kalousdian, director of marketing and public relations.

“It should be an exciting change for the dancers because she’s going to expose these young dancers to different styles,” she said.

Cordova also wants young dancers to know that dance is another way to express oneself without words.

The first dance Cordova and Guzman choreographed together was based on Cordova’s experience dealing with her father’s death.

In “Letting Go,” Guzman dances the part of Cordova’s sister, who held in her emotions, while Cordova had problems dealing with it, she said.

“Performing is another way of my own therapy,” Cordova said.

“I don’t like to talk. I don’t ask for help. When he died, I hid from everybody until given an opportunity to perform the way I felt.”

They will perform the piece at the National Brain Tumor Society Walk, which starts at 8 a.m. Oct. 17 at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

The company officials are exploring writing grants to raise funds for future events, Cordova said.

“I want to invite other artists from other genres like Indian, Mexican folk and Russian folk dancing,” she said.

“I’m looking for a venue to bring all these influences together with our company’s to perform here in Burbank.”