Sylvia del Villard (1928-1990)

In continuing our observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we take a look at dancer, choreographer, singer, actress, and orator, Sylvia del Villard.

"Sylvia completed her elementary and high school education in Santurce. Afterwards, she enrolled at Fisk University in Tennessee with a scholarship from the Puerto Rican Government, taking courses in social work and anthropology.

This cangrejera’s passion for Africa was awakened while studying at the City College of New York, where she joined the dancing and singing troupe Africa House. She worked on the big screen in the productions, “The Time We Lost” and “The Americans Came Playing the Violin.” She also acted in “Los traidores de San Ángel” by the famous Argentine Leopoldo Torres Nilson, which was filmed in Puerto Rico and was invited to the Cannes Film Festival in France. 

In 1968, she founded the Teatro Afro-Boricua El Coquí company. The Pan-American Association for the Festival of the New World recognized them as the greatest exponents of Afro-Puerto Rican and Antillean culture, and offered them a contract to bring their artistic vision to several countries and perform at various North American universities. After the closing of her theater, Sylvia moved back to New York. There, she founded the Soninke company, which performed on many occasions at New York’s Museum of Natural History. In 1981, the Instituto de Cultura assigned her to be the first and only ever director of the office of Afro-Puerto Rican affairs."

Reference

Centro CUNY