QUEENS — A new cultural center recently opened its doors in downtown Jamaica, offering free to low-cost dance, art and fitness classes to members of the community, from toddlers to seniors.
The Latin American Intercultural Alliance — a group founded in 2005 to serve Latino communities in Jackson Heights, Corona and Elmhurst — moved to Jamaica in December with a new center at 148-15 Archer Ave., offering 23 classes including jewelry making, art journaling, ceramics, writing, yoga, tai chi, Zumba and theater.
Most classes are free, except for workshops that require supplies for which the organization is asking a $10 donation.
Other programs include Hawaiian hula, tango and cumbia, where participants can learn both dance steps as well as the history of each dance.
The alliance made the move to the neighborhood after realizing that the areas they were covering were "oversaturated" with similar organizations.
It took them a year and a half to find a spot in Jamaica, which is known for its diversity, including a significant Latino population, particularly from El Salvador, said Ruben Cruz, the assistant director at LAIA.
“We have five Salvadorian restaurants in Jamaica,” he said.
The group's focus has shifted since it launched years ago, along with its name which used to be the Latin American Immigrant Alliance.
“Initially, the focus was on immigrant issues and women’s rights,” Cruz said. “Over the years, we found ourselves doing much more poetry readings, as well as music and dance.
A class at the Latin American Intercultural Alliance's new cultural center. (Courtesy of the Latin American Intercultural Alliance)
Mornings at the center will be dedicated to programs for seniors, but the organization hopes to attract people of different cultural backgrounds and ages, said Cruz who last year worked on launching Humans of The Bronx, a project telling the stories of residents at BronxWorks' senior centers.
In the evening, it’s a “full cultural center," Cruz said.
The group, which was unable to raise funds while looking for a new space, is currently applying for several grants, Cruz added.
At the moment, Cruz said, he, his wife Mariana Buoninconti, who is the organization's president, and 11 other volunteers put in their own money to lease the space.
