Rasquache

Rasquache

Rasquache explores a visual embodiment of a rasquachismo aesthetic—a Chicano art theory and cultural sensibility, coined by Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, that describes a resourceful and defiant "underdog perspective" in working-class communities. The piece exhibits a feminine ferocity, pulling visual cues from Amalia Mesa-Bains' domesticana installations and an assemblage of Chicana symbology, icons, and voices. Rasquache is defiant and resourceful, driven by a survivalist attitude that challenges traditional definitions of "high" and "low" art. The piece represents an identidad rooted in lineage, yet profoundly contemporary and fiercely present. 

Commissioned by The University of Utah School of Dance, Fall 2025.

CREDITS

CHOREOGRAPHY
Roxanne Gray
with collaboration from dancers

PERFORMERS
Emilie Bishop
Meshayla Gardinier
Aria Green
Giovanna Harris
Olivia Hartley
Ana Sofia Melendez
Anela Ottley
Esther Simmons
Keily Tafiti
Em Zinn

MUSIC
Selena
Sinego, Xinobi, and Angélica Garcia
Mexican Music Factory
Duo: Ramos- Monterrubio
Rosalía

COSTUMES
Christopher Larson
Enrique Moreno

LIGHTING
William Peterson

COMISSIONED BY
The University of Utah, 2025

VIDEOGRAPHY
Benjamin Sanders

PHOTOGRAPHY
Todd Collins

For access to more footage, please contact me.