On the eve of the autumn equinox, festival goers along with municipal and state elected officials gathered at the Reston Town Center to celebrate cultural diversity at the 25th Annual Reston Multicultural Festival.
“Community is a living, breathing, thriving experience,” said Beverly Coshum, chair of the Reston Community Center Board of Governors, as she welcomed the crowd. “Everyone’s combined gifts are more than the sum of their parts; we are a place that welcomes everyone. We’re here to share our different journeys with joy. Get to know your neighbors. Welcome, welcome, welcome!”
Flute-filled music made for movement across the glass-roofed pavilion stage. Soon Saint Michael the archangel appeared, followed by members of the Fairfax-based Bolivian dance group Fundación Socio Cultural Diablada Boliviana. St. Michael flapped his feathered wings in coordination with his sword and shield while blasting a whistle to the beat. Entirely disguised dancers donned intricately decorated masks, tunics, gloves, leggings, and boots in shades of cobalt, crimson, gold, and white.
Members of the Bolivian group include mother and daughter duo Nelly and Paloma Zapata from the 2023 cohort of Virginia Folklife Apprentices. The troupe performed the Diablada, or the Dance of the Devil, depicting the fight between good and evil.
Imagery from Diablada folklore fill their heavily decorated masks and costumes. Ornamental snakes, ants, and frogs help tell the story of plagues who visited mineworkers when the devil tempted them to swap their souls for gold and silver.
As the stage performance concluded, the dancers stutter-stepped, arms raised high, waving small flags in their right hands. They followed St. Michael off the stage and paraded to the beat of the clapping audience lining both sides of Market Street.
Following the performance, Katy Clune, state folklorist and director of the Virginia Folklife Program, gathered with Nelly, Paloma, and their fellow dancers in conversation to celebrate the conclusion of their apprenticeship. As they sat on the Library Street Stage, the audience filled to standing room only to hear more about Bolivian dance and the impact their dancing has on northern Virginia and beyond.
“The tradition is deep inside me,” confessed Nelly, a Fundación member since 1998. “I just ask God to let me dance a few more years. Dancing is a big part of my Bolivian heritage. I love to dance the Diablada because it is the story of triumph. In Bolivia, there are many different dance groups, and they identify with certain stories and colors.”
Fundación dancers wear red to honor one of the group’s founders, Freddy Medina. He danced in Diablada Ferroviaria, a troupe formed in 1956 by men from the national railroad workers union. This famous group became known as the “men in red.”
“It’s a beautiful story of good and evil,” Paloma agreed. “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been drawn to the Bolivian dancing community. And because we had no family in the United States dancing added more cousins, aunts, and uncles into my life.”
“I’m drawn to Diablada because of the costumes,” she continued. “You don’t know who’s behind the mask and that always intrigued me. It’s a deep tradition that keeps me dancing.”
When performing, Paloma balances a 26-year-old mask decorated with a petite green dragon and protruding, embellished horns. Over the years, when needed, she mended the mask herself. She said its construction is “plaster, made by hand with no machine work at all. We bring costumes up from Bolivia to support the people who’ve been making them for generations.”
“My boots are 26 years old, too,” she added with a smile. Rubbing the bottoms of her red and white knee-high lace-ups, she continued, “I’ve had the soles repaired and they’ve been a good investment. When I started dancing my costume cost $400. It takes five to six months for costume makers in Bolivia to craft the custom outfits. You can’t go to the store and buy them.”
“Diablada is just one kind of dance from Bolivia,” Nelly said. “Our group wants to be cultural ambassadors for the Bolivian community. We’re honored to be part of Virginia Folklife. We love sharing our culture.”
More Sights from the Festival
Artist Gankhuyag Natsag presented a variety of Mongolian traditions, including music, Tsam dances, and masks. National Heritage Award winner Sochietah Ung, center, spoke with Katy Clune, state folklorist and director of the Virginia Folklife Program. Artist Gankhuyag Natsag presented a variety of Mongolian traditions, including music, Tsam dances, and masks. Jim Lloyd, left, and Eric Pratt perform. Eric Pratt plays guitar.
