Dancing with the Lexington Stars

MEREDITH

TURK

Dancing with Steven King

Meredith Turk is the Marketing Director & Community Project Coordinator at The Wildcat Group & Wildcat Moving, a mom to two boys, and an involved member of the Lexington community. Her role with Wildcat Moving allows her to work with nonprofi t organizations and bring awareness to important causes to the Lexington community, such as the outreach events she has organized for Earth Day park clean up and donation drives for Kentucky fl ood and tornado victims. She says getting to work with charities through her job is a dream come true and that she is so proud to be a part of an organization that is a leader in giving back to the community. Meredith is also involved with the American Heart Association, the Greater Lexington Apartment Association, Easter Seals of Cardinal Hill, and LBAR.

When she’s not giving back to her community, Meredith spends her time at the soccer fi eld, supporting her sons Powers and Killian. The three years she spent coaching her boys’ soccer team was one of the best times of her life, she says, and yet another way to participate in the community. Meredith’s hard work throughout Lexington has paid off, as she has been nominated for GLAA’s 2021 Individual Vendor Member of the Year, featured in multiple issues of TOPS Lexington, and has received recognition for her MPA thesis research at one of her alma maters, National University. VIP tickets are sold out.nHowever, tickets to attend the event are still available in the East Terrace Lounge at The Kentucky Castle.

The East Terrace will offer an exciting, yet more relaxed venue. There will be a live DJ and open dance fl oor throughout the evening.

Tickets are $125

that include heavy hors d’oeuvres and open bar.

This year’s event will be live streamed on our Rotary Dancing with the Lexington Stars website, produced by Studio46 Media. People attending at The Kentucky Castle as well as viewers on our website will be able to see the entire evening’s festivities. As another fi rst this year, local onair news personalities from all four Lexington television stations will participate in our big live streaming event:

ABC36

Erica Bivins

FOX56

Kristen Pflum

Arthur Murray Dance Studio

LEX18

Angie Beavin

WKYT

Jim Caldwell

Make reservations online.... NOW! www.DancingWithTheLexingtonStars.com

Special thanks to TOPS for their continued support.

INSPIRATIONS: Lexington Latinx Culture is Alive and Thrives

by Donna Ison | photos courtesy of Casa de la Cultura

INSPIRATIONS SPONSORED BY LG&E

Casa de la Cultura’s mission is “to promote Latino culture and encourage the learning and use of the Spanish language through various educational and creative programs and activities.”

In the words of Mercedes Harn, president of the board of Casa de la Cultura, “What we want our community to know is that the Latinx culture is so much more than Cinco de Mayo or tequila and is so much bigger than Mexico. The Latinx community in Kentucky brings and offers so much; we need to be able to recognize their efforts.” Alongside bringing awareness to Latinx culture within the state, the organization is focused on keeping traditions alive amongst its youth. Founded by Monica Calleja, who currently serves as director, Casa de la Cultura’s mission is “to promote Latino culture and encourage the learning and use of the Spanish language through various educational and creative programs and activities.” The ultimate goal is that Latinx children now living in Kentucky will know who they are and where they come from. According to Harn, “The younger generation loses their connection with the culture of their immigrant parents once they arrive to the state. This leads to confusion of who they are and how and where they belong. We want these kids to recognize their cultural identity.” One of the primary ways Casa de la Cultura accomplishes this is through the arts. Harn said, “Latinos have contributed to the arts in lots of forms and media since the beginning of time. Most Latin cultures have been preserved through arts, including dance. We feel dance is especially important because it involves music and, through the choreography, we convey a story.” The organization teaches dances from Latin America and Mexico, including jarabe tapatío, the mambo from Cuba , sayas from Bolivia, and festejo from Peru as well as choreographies from Estate of Guerrero, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz. Classes are available for both children and adults. Throughout the year, members don traditional costumes from their native countries and perform at events such as Festival Latino de Lexington and WorldFest in Louisville.

Come May, Casa de la Cultura also hosts Festival dia de las Madres. Prior to COVID, 800 families gathered to celebrate Mother’s Day as a community. Harn pointed out, “Mother’s Day is big in Latinx culture. We celebrate family and mothers by giving them gifts and performing a show, and perhaps most important, providing information from other helpful organizations. An informed community is a strong community. Along with dance, Casa de la Cultura also provides classes in painting, embroidery, and making piñatas and alebrijes. First created by Mexican artist Pedro Linares, alebrijes are colorful papier mâché sculptures depicting mythical animals; think cat with tentacles, goats with butterfly wings, or dogs with flowers for ears, painted in all the vivid colors of the rainbow. These fantastical creatures can also be made from wood.

One of the highlights of the year for Casa de la Cultura is the Día de los Muertos celebration, which they plan along with Lexington Parks & Recreation. Held on November 1 each year, Día de los Muertos—which translates as “Day of the Dead”—is a celebration dedicated to life, death, remembering loved ones, and honoring ancestors. The festival is rich with rituals, symbolism, and art, and it is free to the public. A central part of the celebration is the community ofrenda, an alter decorated as a sign of remembrance where family and friends can place gifts of appreciation for the deceased. Of course, food plays a large role in every culture. So, this April, Casa de la Cultura, in partnership with Crave, will bring back Taco Week, where local restaurants offer up their most unique and mouth-watering takes on this traditional dish. •

To learn more about Casa de la Cultura, visit their site at casadelaculturaky.org.

Left: Mercedes Harn, President of the Board of Casa de la Cultura Right: Casa de la Cultura dances Below: Dia de los Muertos celebrations