Leading national nonprofit, activist-driven, professional dance company, CONTRA-TIEMPO is proud to announce the world premiere of their exciting new production, Full Still Hungry at the Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on September 23, 2011. The highly anticipated all ages show is a full-evening journey conceived and directed by Ana Maria Alvarez (CONTRA-TIEMPO’s co-founding artistic director) set to an original score by Cesar Alvarez (group’s co-founding composer), and prominent Latin percussionist, Bobby Matos. Starring a cast of twelve dancers, the evening blends poetry, stunning visuals, choreography, and guest performances by Martha Gonzalez from renowned group, Quetzal, and CONTRA-TIEMPO's pre-professional youth company, CONTRA-TIEMPO Futuro. Full Still Hungry explores the politics of food in our culture through love, music and sensuous movement. This exciting new work aims to create an open and honest dialogue about how food, race, privilege, and cultural consumption impact our everyday lives where food is more sustenance. CONTRA-TIEMPO hopes to highlight our connection with others, the earth, and our bodies through original choreography and Latin/African-flavored rhythms that are sure to get you dancing in the aisles. Ana Maria Alvarez explains, “Food has always been a way I have related to and understood my reality. What I call 'food' is not just the material I put in my body to sustain life, but a web of relationships, histories, experiences, choices, and decisions impacting the world around us. Our company hopes to engage the audience with new ideas and ways of relating to ourselves, our environment, and the impact of our consumption through our performance.”

What sets CONTRA-TIEMPO apart is its unique relationship to its own community.  In addition to its national reach, the company continues its mission of maintaining a strong connection on a local, grass roots level through the development of specialized arts curriculums designed for their underserved students in Los Angeles and New York. The company members, professional dancers and artists may come from different walks of life, but hold they share a vision in common. Many are immigrants, teachers, activists, organizers and movers of all types living and working in Los Angeles. Each member lives and struggles within the varied and infinitely complex political and personal landscapes that founding artistic director, Ana Maria Alvarez, and her company address in their work. Their tireless efforts with young people through workshops address social, political and race issues through movement and traditional cultural dance forms. “Our mission is to transform the world through dance - to represent the voices that aren't traditionally heard on the concert stage - not only are we doing that but are doing it in some of the most amazing stages in the world,” describes Ana Maria Alvarez.