Rosie Chavarria-Peña

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Méxican
Méxican

Rosie Chavarria Pena

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Rosie Chavarria Pena Born and raised in the East Los Angeles area (of Romanian heritage, her parents migrated from Romania to Mexico and then to the United States), Rosie Chavarria-Peña began her dancing career at the age of three. At the age of sixteen, Rosie was teaching dance through the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation. Upon graduation from high school, Rosie traveled extensively throughout México studying with many reknowned teachers, perfecting her skill. She studied Mexican regional dancing at the Universities of Guadalajara and San Luis Potosi.

Rosie has appeared profesionally at the Los Angeles Music Auditorium, Hollywood Bowl, Philharmonic Auditorium, San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, and the California Heritage and Pageantry Association. In addition, she has toured throughout Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, and the Western United States.

As an educator, Rosie is greatly respected and admired for her skillful teaching and her knowledge of Mexican folk dancing. Her lecture-dance seminars have been presented for the Fullerton, Newport Mesa and Santa Ana Unified School Districts, and for the California Department of Corrections at San Quentin. She has taught at Ohlone College, San Jose City College, and Chapman College's World Campus Afloat.

Rosie has been involved in teaching Méxican folk dancing at Santa Ana College, directing a children's folklórico group and choreographing for Relampago del Cielo, an outstanding southern California exhibition group. As artistic director of the Santa Ana based company, Rosie has demonstrated a genuine flair for innovative and highly professional productions.

Rosie's daughter, Marlene Peña-Marin, succeeded her mother as Relampago's artistic director. Madeline and Melina, her grandaughters, are both Relampago dancers. This brings three generations of the family on stage together, a tribute to their contributions to Relampago, past, present, and future.

Rosie received the Cashion Cultural Legacy (CCL) 2011 award. She travelled to Chapala, Jalisco, México to work with CCL founder Susan Cashion to document the early days of Méxican folklórico dance in California. The product of this collaboration was the publication her book No Boots, a personal remembrance of the early days of Méxican dance in the Los Angeles, California area.