Carried by breath, ritual, and grounded choreography, Xilopango is a contemporary dance production that reflects the artist’s maternal lineage. It traverses the lives of Villafuerte’s great-grandmother, an Indigenous seamstress who raised fourteen children; her grandmother, a nurse who was forcibly disappeared during the Salvadorian civil war; her mother, a political activist who fled military persecution and resettled in Canada; and the artist herself, a daughter of diaspora who bears the weight of their stories in her body. But this is not just personal history. It speaks to a broader, embodied experience shared by many Salvadorians. The work transforms grief into connection and invites the audience to witness a return—not only to place, but to self, to memory, and to love. Told through the voice of the Land itself, it is a tender excavation of the quiet strength that endures from one generation to the next.
Talkback with the artist following the February 13th performance
Hosted by Sundus Abdul-Hadi
Content warning : nudity
ABOUT+
Irma Villafuerte is a Salvadorian-Canadian dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Tkaronto (Toronto). Her work is rooted in ancestral memory, land, and cultural identity, drawing from her family’s history of war, displacement, and resistance. With over 20 years in community-engaged arts, she uplifts Latinx, Indigenous, newcomer, and LGBTQ2 voices. Irma is co-founder of CinnaMoon Collective and co-creator of the Dora-nominated Surrendered Spirits. Her latest work, Xilopango, premieres in August 2025, honouring Central American stories through contemporary dance.
Credits+
Concept, Performer, Choreographer and Director: Irma Villafuerte
Dramaturgy: Alejandro Ronceria
Collaborators and Performers: Victoria Mata, Nickeisha Garrick, Jessica Zepeda
Musical Direction, Composition and Sound Engineering: David Ariza
Costume Design: Abi Cudjoe
Production Manager: Jillia Cato
Stage Manager: Lilibeth Rivas
Rehearsal Director: Emilie Jabouin
Lighting Designer: Sebastian Marziali
Photos : Andre Lozano
Research process collaborators: Siwar Soria (performed at premiere), Katie Samara Couchie, Alexander Herrera, Falciony Patino, George Brown Dance Students, MxM Contemporary Dance Students in Chiapas, Mexico.