Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance & Cultural Center

Getting a place of one's own is always cause for celebration, which is why the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance & Cultural Center is throwing a big shindig this Sunday afternoon. The company has secured what it considers its first permanent location in its nine-year history: a 2,100-square-foot facility that's part of the Bread Factory, the former bakery at 701 Tillery that's become a popular home for cultural organizations and individual artists since its renovation four years ago. For most of its existence, Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance has been operating out of the same space as Tapestry Dance Company, between Fifth and Sixth streets, west of Lamar, so this is a major step for the organization. But with that property scheduled for a major makeover, neither company really had a choice. So, PRFD&CC has packed up and headed east, to join ALLGO, Austin Circle of Theaters, DeCola & Eusebi Studio/Gallery, Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, IDEA Art Gallery, and Artillery Gallery at one of the most culturally savvy addresses in Austin. The new venue's grand opening takes place Sunday, Aug. 6, 2-5pm, with games, refreshments, and, of course, dance – most notably a bombazo (Bomba dance), a Puerto Rican tradition in which the community is invited to join the dancers before the drum. You're part of the community, so consider yourself invited. Pack up a lawn chair and some dominoes, head on over to the Bread Factory, see the new dance studios with hardwood maple floors, and help PRFD&CC celebrate. For information, call 251-8122, or visit www.prfdance.org.