May 14, 2024

Esgrima de Machete is an Afro-Colombian martial and cultural art that dates back to the Colombian struggle for Independence from Spain and later the landowners that oppressed enslaved peoples. Esgrima is an elegant but crafty art that creates body control, refined skill and rhythm, showing how martial arts and music evolve across the diaspora, and centering a history, which enslavement, colonization and white supremacist violence has attempted to destroy, erase and hide.

This 3-day festival is the culmination of a 16-week long class series collaboration between Maestro Sonny Batata and Pieter Performance Space.

When: Friday-Sunday, June 14 -16, 2024

Cost: FREE

Where: Pieter Performance Space, 2701 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Full event descriptions below:

Day 1: The History and Evolution of Esgrima de Machete, Friday, June 14, 5-8pm

Day 2: Fundamentals of Esgrima de Machete: Workshops, Saturday June 15, 10am-5:30pm

Day 3: Esgrima de Machete: Closing Performance, Sunday, June 16, 2:30-4:30pm

THIS PROGRAMMING IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL AND THE DCA LOS ANGELES