La Quebradita

Quebradita is a partner dance that emerged along the Mexico–US border, though its exact origins remain debated. It combines bouncy fast-paced steps, with daring acrobatic lifts inspired by Lindy Hop and cheerleading. Since the 1990s, significant migration from Mexico to the United States has shaped the social and political landscapes on both sides of the border.
As immigration policies have tightened and physical barriers like the US border wall have expanded, crossing has become increasingly dangerous. In this context, Quebradita developed as a high-risk and sometimes extremely joyful practice. During a stay in Mexico City in November 2025, Johanna Heusser encountered the Quebradita dance group Urban Folk
Dance, with whom she is planning a piece in co-authorship. In this Piece they want to find out whether tensions around migration, identity, and inequality can be traced within the movements and the risk of the acrobatics within the dance itself.

by Johanna Heusser

Cast