Tabula Rasa Dance Theater, the New York-based contemporary company founded in 2018 by Felipe Escalante, brings two powerful works to El Museo del Barrio starting today (June 20) as part of Sin Fronteras – No Borders. The program pairs Border of Lights, a visceral portrayal of the dehumanizing realities faced by immigrants in America, with the world premiere of Escaramuza, Escalante’s tribute to Mexico’s fearless all-female equestrian teams, known for their synchronized, side-saddle maneuvers performed in traditional dress.
Escalante was born in Querétaro, Mexico. He studied folkloric and classical dance and trained with Guillermina Bravo—widely regarded as the most important figure in Mexican Modern Dance—at the National Center of Contemporary Dance, before moving to New York City in 2010. An immigrant himself, it is important to him that his company remains culturally diverse, and the current roster has dancers from Italy, Jamaica, Argentina, Ecuador, México, Haiti, Venezuela and the United States.
Observer recently caught up with Escalante to talk about the upcoming show, shooting stars and the importance of art.
How did you decide to collaborate with the museum for this production?
El Museo del Barrio is a great organization. We applied for a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts to perform at the museum because we think its members are similar to our members and that this might interest them all. Their theater was just restored two years ago, and it’s very nice. We are very happy to be there.
Tell me about the show’s title, Sin Fronteras – No Borders.
At this point in time, I don’t think we should be thinking about borders anymore, you know? Also, I believe that Mexicans, wherever we go, carry no borders. We just have to be who we are.
You will be presenting two pieces in the program. Tell me about Border of Lights.
We created it in 2023. It’s a big piece, eighteen dancers, set to Mozart’s Requiem. It grew out of the phenomenon of demonizing immigrants. Not only in the United States, but everywhere. In Europe and South America, too. But I focus more on the immigrants here, because I came from México. We are called “criminals” and “invaders” and worse. Using this xenophobic language, I was able to make stories and explore, for example, why someone spits at another person. Where does that anger come from?
What does the title Border of Lights mean to you?
It was challenging to title this piece. In the beginning, I thought we should call it “Borders,” because it’s about walls, and we want audiences to understand that the walls that exist are, historically, not great in many ways. But then I thought about how immigrants—any immigrants coming from anywhere—are like shooting stars. They create their own paths to go wherever they have to go. So “Border of Lights” refers to shooting stars. Constellations of lights.
I want to hear about the new piece!
Escaramuza is about México’s female equestrian riders. I’ve had this idea since I was 18. I heard the Violin Concerto by Philip Glass and thought, “I want to do a piece about horses to this.” And finally, this year, I said, “Okay, it’s time to do it.”
It’s really fun. Ten women are literally jumping and running the whole time. It’s twenty-six minutes total, so even though it’s fun to watch, it’s very hard for the dancers.
I grew up with horses in México. One of my cousins was an escaramuza, and when I went to see her in the rodeo, I could not believe that these female riders were riding on their side, like nothing, and making crosses so dangerous and at such an incredible speed. They embody a very fierce and strong femininity, I think. It’s fantastic to see them.
It’s a challenging piece, but the dancers have finally tamed it. It’s quite animalistic, the whole thing. You’re always running, always jumping. There is a moment when you can’t keep going, but you have to, and there’s something in your body that keeps telling you, “Go, go, go, go!”
How does it feel to be presenting this show right now, in the state of our world?
There are a lot of narratives about immigrants, but ours isn’t a common one. We are a dance company that creates work on a professional level, with professional dancers who are also immigrants.
I’m proud and excited to show that Mexicans are not only the people working in the fields gathering food or working in restaurants washing dishes. I’m happy to show that any person who comes from a Latin American country can be a choreographer, a director, a creator of something from their own traditions, music and cultural ideas, and be part of the community in New York.
What would you say the importance of art is at this moment?
I think human beings need a lot of art. We need now, more than ever, to go to museums and to the theater. Humans need to become critical. They need to understand different views. They need to be exposed to all of it. Not only my dance on immigration, but anything. Everything. We are in a challenging process of understanding that we might not be as intelligent as we thought we were, especially with artificial intelligence. It’s hard, but I have hope.
What art have you been consuming lately to escape or get smarter?
I see as much as I can. Dance–big companies, small companies–the orchestra, museums. It’s not easy to try to do and see everything, but art always reminds me of my reason. I become a human when I consume art. It keeps me reasonable. It’s easy to fall into a dogma or an idea, but when you see other points of view, something clicks in your head differently. That’s what I think.
What do you hope audiences will experience at your show?
I hope they experience a mix of feelings. A lot of feelings. I’m looking to touch people in any way I can. I believe that if you come with an open heart and an open mind, you will be touched the way you need to be touched.
Tabula Rasa Dance Theater performs Sin Fronteras – No Borders on June 20, 21 and 22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at El Museo del Barrio.