History
The birth of the 4x4 format and the 4x4 TJ Night Choreography Contest
The 4x4 concept emerged in 2005, in a bar called Blue Foot, and was produced for several years by SUSHI Performing and Visual Art Center.
It was a space to present works of various disciplines specially designed for a platform of 1.20 by 1.20 meters. (4 x 4 feet) and 30 cm high. The small stage was occupied with dance, theater, open mic , music and almost any performance act. The curatorship and leadership of the night was generally in charge of Liam Clancy taking place on the first Tuesday of every month between 2005 and 2009.
This format was the result of a need for exhibition by the artists of the region, given that the former headquarters of SUSHI, a forum-gallery that was located in the Carnation building in the old industrial center of San Diego, was closed for several years due to reasons for remodeling the entire district and the construction of Petco Park. This need to keep the promotion of SUSHI events current prompted the term "SUSHI TO GO" where alternative spaces throughout the city of San Diego were temporarily occupied for functions, exhibitions and the events of its agenda in libraries, bars , museums, galleries, etc. One of these spaces was the Blue Foot bar with its 4x4 foot platform.
The members of Lux Boreal went in 2006 to witness a night and we were captivated by the concept, so we dedicated ourselves to creating a work that we would submit to curatorship in the following month, that is how "The last one and we are going" came about.
The experience of creating and presenting "La Última y Nos Vamos" was very enriching, refreshing and fun, so that same year we immediately proposed to SUSHI that it allow us to organize and curate a night of purely Tijuana artists, the proposal was pleasantly accepted and that's how it came about 4x4 Tijuana Night , transforming soon in 4x4 TJ Night.
4x4 TJ Night was presented for the first time on December 9, 2008 at the Blue Foot Bar and Lounge with the presence of the Banda La Ballena de Jonás , Compañía Teatral del Sótano and the dance groups Beta Lab , Catalejo and Péndulo Cero , a night produced by Lux Boreal in co-production with Sushi Performance and Visual Arts and Bound Dance Project.
The idea and the concept crossed the border and found fertile ground in the city of Tijuana where it was possible to summon more artists and carry out functions in galleries such as the case of District 10, the format had many benefits given its portability and the interesting of the proposals. However, it was getting harder produce it for financing reasons.
It was in 2012 when the Tijuana Cultural Center, through its extramural program, decided to promote a co-production project to launch the Choreography Contest. 4x4 TJ Night . This collaboration between Lux Boreal and CECUT have transformed this space in a great party to meet the language of the body in movement, preparing land for to the traditional International Dance Exhibition Tijuana Cuerpos en Tránsito, while detonating the region's dance movement and creating new audiences for this art. The format has become a tradition in Tijuana and other cities in Mexico.
A point where art, innovation, research, healthy competition and coexistence converge.
TJ Night 4x4 Choreography Contest Award History
2012
Best Choreography: "What else is water" (Tijuana)
Choreography and Interpretation: Hoze Meléndez and Noemí Sánchez
Audience Award: "The shame of Lulu" (Tijuana)
Choreography: Maribel Durazo - The Dance Chair
Cast: Melissa Sánchez, David Fierro and Maribel Durazo
2013
Best Choreography: “Jouer” (Tijuana)
Direction: Daniel Delgadillo
Cast: Daniel Delgadillo, Dania Barragán, Sthephany Carreño
Best Interpreter: Alejandra Lugo (CDMX)
Choreography: “Montuno for a short-sighted love”
Direction: Victor Siañez Vaca
Cast: Alejandra Lugo and Leonardo Villa
Audience Award: "With tension" (Tijuana)
Direction: Erik Utrilla and Marena de la Parra - Mina Company
Interpreters: Erik Maldonado Utrilla, Evelyn Marín Marrufo, Enrique Soto Rodríguez, Areli Arechiga De Sales, Eric Linares Benítez and Marena De La Parra
2014
Best Choreography: “Hollki” (Tijuana)
Direction: Maribel Durazo - The Dance Chair
Cast: Dania Barragán, Mariana Paredes and Melissa Sánchez
Best Performer: Gabriela Aguilar (Guadalajara)
Choreography: “Mitote in the Mirror”
Direction: Gabriela Aguilar
Cast: Gabriela Aguilar and Gabriela Cuevas
Audience Award: “Dissonant Worlds” (Tijuana)
Direction and Performers: Stefanie Carreño and Iván Bram
2015
Best Choreography: “Minds” (Mexicali)
Direction: Zarina Mendoza – Tranze Productions
Cast: Mariel Rivas, Zarina Mendoza, Raymundo Martínez and Ramsés Carranco
Best Performer: Jaime Nixon (San Diego)
Choreography: “Do You Love Me More?”
Direction: Jaime Nixon
Cast: Jaime Nixon and Angelica Lee Bell
Audience Award: “Minds” (Mexicali)
Direction: Zarina Mendoza – Tranze Productions
Cast: Mariel Rivas, Zarina Mendoza, Raymundo Martínez and Ramsés Carranco
Honorable Mention: “Sufi” (Tijuana)
Direction: Daniel Delgadillo
Cast: Daniel Delgadillo, Sthephanie Carreño and Iván Juárez Bram
2016
Best Choreography: “Recipients” (CDMX-Tijuana)
Direction: Sebastian Santamaria
Interpreters: Gizeh Muñiz and Sebastián Santamaria
Best Performer: Cinthia Pérez Navarro (Puebla)
Choreography: “Until the End of Life, Love and Lust”
Direction: Cristina Goletti
Cast: Sebastián Santamaria and Cinthia Pérez Navarro
Audience Award: “Will we be Heroes?” (Tijuana)
Direction: Salvador Corona
Cast: Carlos A. González, Iliana Edith Jiménez, Rubén Valencia
Honorable Mention: “El Gif” (CDMX)
Direction and Interpreters: Romina Soriano and Luciana Matilda
2017
Best Choreography: "Study on Coldness / Haiku 4 Winter" (Morelia)
Directed by: Isabel Narés
Interpreters: Paola Trujillo and Fernando Bermúdez
Best Performer: Andrew Holmes (San Diego)
Choreography: “Dance My Mother Taught me Vol. 2”
Direction: Angel Acuna
Cast: Angel Acuña and Andrew Holmes
Audience Award: “Lost In Translation” (Riverside)
Direction and Performers: Rosa Rodríguez-Frazier and Joey Navarrete
Honorable Mention: "Lost In Translation" (Riverside)
Direction and Performers: Rosa Rodríguez-Frazier and Joey Navarrete
2018
Best Choreography: “ECO´S Volar Ten Thousand” (CDMX)
Direction and Performers: Patricia Rivera and Zurisadai Gonzales
Best Interpreter: Patricia Rivera (CDMX)
Choreography: “ECO´S Volar Ten Thousand”
Direction and Performers: Patricia Rivera and Zurisadai Gonzales
Audience Award: “Ultralight Beam” (Tijuana)
Direction: Gustavo Vazquez
Cast: Sebastián Valdez, Gustavo Vázquez and Maura Soriano
Honorable Mention: “Ultralight Beam” (Tijuana)
Direction: Gustavo Vazquez
Cast: Sebastián Valdez, Gustavo Vázquez and Maura Soriano
2019
Best Choreography: "Ozaru" (Culiacán)
Direction and Performers: Jorge Luis Salazar, Mario Cázares and Azarel Meza - Ground Zero
Best Interpreter: Daniela Zavaleta (Queréraro)
Choreography: "Closet"
Address: Daniela Zavaleta - Ruta45
Cast: Sara Ramírez and Gabriela Zavaleta
Audience Award: "CoinCidiere Squad" (Tijuana)
Direction: Pita Zapot
Cast: Miroslava Wilson, Carlos González, Salvador Corona, Paulina Ibarra, Iliana Jiménez, Annel Ramírez - Zero Pendulum
Honorable Mention: "Closet" (Querétaro)
Address: Daniela Zavaleta - Ruta45
Cast: Sara Ramírez and Gabriela Zavaleta
2020.21 (pandemic special edition)
Best Choreography: "And then???" (OAXACA)
Direction and Interpretation: Ángeles Fernández and Diana Gómez
Best Interpreter: Tlathui Maza (CDMX)
Choreography: "Exis"
Address: Tlathui Maza
Cast: Tlathui Maza and Eric Emmanuel Soto
Audience Award: "SinSense" (CDMX)
Direction: Tomas Sebastian
Creative performers: Tomás Sebastián Gómez Pereyra, Yumana Tannous, Emmanuelle Sanders - Vision of Contemporary Dance
Honorable Mention: " SinSense " (CDMX)
Direction: Tomas Sebastian
Creative performers : Tomás Sebastián Gómez Pereyra, Yumana Tannous, Emmanuelle Sanders - Contemporary Dance Vision