Tabula Rasa Dance Theater Unleashes an Electrifying Program that Takes on Immigration, Solidarity, and Mexican Identity

Photo courtesy of Tabula Rasa Dance Theater

Felipe Escalante leads the company to El Museo del Barrio with the World Premiere of Escaramuza and the return of Border of Lights

June 20–22, 2025 | El Museo del Barrio | Sin Fronteras – No Borders

Tabula Rasa Dance Theater announces Sin Fronteras – No Borders, a bold contemporary dance program inspired by the heritage and lived experiences of Mexicans in both their homeland and across borders. Featuring Border of Lights and the world premiere of Escaramuza, performances will take place June 20–22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at El Museo del Barrio. Tickets start at $0.63 to $95 and can be purchased at www.tabularasadancetheater.com.

Sin Fronteras – No Borders proposes that Mexicans, wherever they go, carry no borders. Through movement, music, costume, lighting, and the body, this production explores how cultural identity transcends geographical boundaries while drawing on the collective and individual memories that shape and enrich the immigrant experience. As the fastest-growing ethnic group in New York, Mexicans are continuously strengthening and redefining the city’s culture and economy.

Border of Lights
Premiered in 2023, Border of Lights responds to a growing global phenomenon: the demonization of immigrants. This work directly addresses the dehumanizing rhetoric surrounding migration and aims to restore dignity and visibility to immigrant communities. With advanced technology, rapid costume changes, and an original movement vocabulary, Border of Lights honors the stories of those who cross borders in search of safety, opportunity, and belonging.

Escaramuza (World Premiere)
This energetically abstract new work pays tribute to the all-female Mexican equestrian teams known for their daring, high-speed, synchronized routines. Escaramuza celebrates the elegance, strength, and cultural richness of these modern-day Amazons—rooted in both Indigenous and Spanish traditions—and highlights the visibility and power of Mexican women.

Performances
June 20, 21, 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029

Tickets are available now at: www.tabularasadancetheater.com

ABOUT TABULA RASA DANCE THEATER

Founded in 2018 by Felipe Escalante, Tabula Rasa Dance Theater is a New York-based company dedicated to advancing contemporary dance while confronting urgent social issues. With dancers from nine countries and a commitment to risk-taking and precision, the company seeks to unearth truth through movement. Escalante’s practice draws on everyday gestures, cross-cultural dance traditions, and the natural world—pushing dancers to speak with their full physical selves.

ABOUT FELIPE ESCALANTE

A native of Querétaro, México, Felipe Escalante began performing folkloric dance at age six and trained at México’s National Center of Contemporary Dance under the mentorship of Guillermina Bravo. Since then, he has created more than 20 original works and received commissions and support from the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and CUNY Dance Initiative.

Escalante’s choreographic voice blends bold theatricality with urgent commentary. His 2023 work Border of Lights was hailed by Dance Enthusiast as bringing audiences “the shock of the new.” Previous works include Oedipus Rex, Inside Our Skins, Ship of Fools, and One of Four—a borough-spanning pandemic-era project made possible through community grants and ingenuity.