Tradition. Paradigm. Culture and Legacy. Innovation. Voice. Catharsis and Embodied Truths.

I AM JULIA is the first solo show by Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba performer and educator, Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera. Julia juxtaposes her fundamento (foundation), earned in the bosom of Los Pleneros de La 21—one of the most revered Puerto Rican folk ensembles of all time—with other equally powerful influences and passions to tell her story of diaspora, identity, gender, and the catharsis possible in heritage practices. Julia breaks free from the traditional form and ensemble performances to unveil how emotion and individual voice intersect with transmission, ritual and legacy. Through riveting movements, songs and environment, Julia presents the two as lovers engaged in a complicated dance, sometimes beautifully synced and at others in striking violence. 

Laced with original lyrics, compelling video animation, ethereal lighting, powerful movements and sheer athleticism, I AM JULIA is a brave narrative of 55 emotionally packed minutes offering unequivocal release for Julia and audiences alike.

“I AM JULIA can be seen as an origin story that intersects the personal with history, cultural memory, and spiritual traditions. The work is deeply personal, a story of “becoming,” that reveals the depth of ancestral knowledge passed down through generations through the body itself, its movements, sounds, rhythms, rituals, and voice. ”
— Alicia Díaz, MFA Co-Director, Agua Dulce Dance Theatre Associate Professor of Dance The University of Richmond

The Movements. Los Piquetes.

  • CAMINOS /Pathways: Ancestral Roots. Fundamentos. Beginnings. Earth. Paths. Our Subconscious.

  • ECOS / Echoes: The Id and the Ego. Self and Community. The Past meets the Now.

  • VIENTOS / Winds: Changes and Transitions. Realized Voice through Revered Roots.

  • PUYAS de CHOLA / Sweet Defiance: Bitter Sweetness. Honeyed Audacity.

  • AGUAS / Waters: Divine Feminine. ReBirth. Vulnerability. Catharsis.

  • CANDELA / Fires: Ferocity. Warriorship. Rule Breaking.

  • HORIZONTES / Horizons: Looking Back to Move Forward.

The Voices. Repertoire.

Llegué Caminando - traditional Afro-Cuban Palo rezo ||Si Se Entera - written by Manny Pérez || Agua Na’ Má - written by George Rosario || De Sal a Sal - written by Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera || Agua Que te Quema - written by Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera || Mi Socio - traditional Bomba, Guayama, Puerto Rico || La Candela - written by Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera || Úre Uré - written by Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera