Arts Funding Sources & Grant Programs

Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo has met the eligibility criteria for NEFA’s New England States Touring (NEST) program. Nonprofit presenters in New England states outside of Massachusetts may apply for NEST funding to reimburse up to 50% of Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo’s performance fee.

Complete information about the NEST program can be found on NEFA’s website at http://www.nefa.org/grantprog/nest/index.html.

A variety of other programs exist to help fund the presentation of groups such as Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo. Some of those programs can be found at http://www.matchbook.org/fundingsources.aspx. For more information about grants and funding opportunities contact your local, state & regional arts agencies.

Arts Agency Affiliations

Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo maintains a profile on the website of MatchBook.org, and is listed in the cultural database of CultureCount.org. Both of these organizations are integral parts of a network of state and regional arts agencies which includes the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Booking

If you would like to bring Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo to your institution, organization, community or event for a performance, workshop or presentation please download this Event Information Form onto your computer, copy the form into your e-mail or word processing program, and provide as much of the requested information as possible.

E-mail this completed form to us so that we have all of the necessary information about your event or activity available when we contact you.

Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo is available for performances and workshops in the New England region.

Performances

Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo performs Afro-Cuban folkloric dances, rhythms and songs. Their repertoire includes material from the many distinct African cultures that exist in Cuba such as Yoruba, Bantú, Arará and Iyesá; as well as secular traditions such as Rumba, Comparsa and Gaga.

Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo’s performances feature high- energy dance, colorful costumes, authentic Afro-Cuban drums and

percussion instruments, complex traditional polyrhythms, and songs with lyrics in Spanish as well as several languages of West-African origin.

Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo’s performances can provide multi-cultural diversity to programming at primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, performance spaces and festivals.

Some of the venues and events where Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo has performed are:

North Amherst Harvest Festival            

(North Amherst, MA)

Montessori School of Northampton       

(Northampton, MA)

University of Massachusetts                 

(Amherst, MA)

First Churches                                     

(Northampton, MA)

Fort River Elementary School               

(Amherst, MA)

Television Station GCTV                       

(Greenfield, MA)

Greenfield High School                       

(Greenfield, MA)

Loomis Retirement Community                       

(South Hadley, MA)

Odyssey Bookshop                       

(South Hadley, MA)

Fuller Craft Museum                       

(Brockton, MA)

The Village Commons                       

(South Hadley, MA)

The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School (PVPA)                       

(South Hadley, MA)

Hampshire College                       

(Amherst, MA)

Marks Meadow Elementary School                       

(Amherst, MA)

Smith College                       

(Northampton, MA)

Wildwood Elementary School                       

(Amherst, MA)

To see what performances by Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo really look and sound like visit our Videos and Photos pages.

Presentations by Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo can include lectures on Afro-Cuban history and culture; workshops in Afro-Cuban folkloric dance; and “hands-on” instruction in Afro-Cuban rhythm and song.

Educational events can be tailored for a broad range of age groups; and are appropriate for a wide variety of schools, camps, retreats, cultural events and community activities programs.

Some of the places Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo has presented workshops and classes include:

Florence Community Center

(Florence, MA)

Northeast American School of Dance

(Northampton, MA)

East Street Studios

(Hadley, MA)

Marlboro College

(Marlboro, VT)

Terri Thomas Women’s Detention Center  (Springfield, MA)

Get Up & Dance

(Gilbertville, MA)

Putney Community Center

(Putney, VT)

Stone Church

(Brattleboro, VT)

Educational Presentations

Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo’s principal dancers and musicians are available for introductory dance and music workshops, specialized classes, and longer term teaching residencies.