Bronx-based Dominican dance artist Stephanie Peña premieres her powerful new work, Pajón con agua, at Hostos Center. Known for her unapologetic explorations of sensuality, Blackness within Dominican culture, and ancestral connections through movement, Peña now dives into the profound relationship between Afro hair and water. "Pajón," a culturally specific Dominican term for Afro hair, serves as the central focus of this deeply personal dance piece. Through a dialogue with her own hair, Peña confronts and dismantles negative associations, transforming them into a source of liberation and self-discovery. Pajón con agua is a journey, drawing upon the grounding and nurturing power of water to reveal the inherent beauty and strength of Afro hair, and the wearer. “This piece is about reclaiming my narrative,” Peña says, “and finding strength in the beauty of my heritage.”
Stephanie Peña holds an MFA in Choreography from the University of Roehampton (London, UK). Her works have been showcased at venues like Jacob's Pillow, New York Live Arts and at festivals such as the Spanish Harlem Creative Movement Festival and Dancewave. She was a guest choreographer at Hofstra University in 2023 and has collaborated with notable artists like Ligia Lewis. She also teaches diverse dance forms, including Latin dance, for K-12 public school students, and programs like the Little Island community classes featured in The New York Times.
Stephanie Peña’s residency and performance at Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture is part of the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI), receives major support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and Mertz Gilmore Foundation. Additional support is provided by the SHS Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s Charles E. Culpeper Arts & Culture program, and the Harkness Foundation for Dance. CDI is spearheaded by The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. www.cuny.edu/danceinitiative
