Mission:“
The mission of VPO is preserving, presenting and promoting the different manifestations of the Culture of Panama, through its music, dances, traditions, literature, paintings, arts & crafts, cuisine, etc, striving to provide the multicultural population of California with a high quality sample of the spirit and flavor of Panama, and helping out the socioeconomic development of its native Panama”.
Our mission is accomplished by the following:
Organizing and coordinating displays and exhibitions, cultural and educational programs with museums, schools, universities, and other cultural centers.
Associating with local, national and international organizations/corporations with the same scope of work, by creating and co-adjuvating programs to achieve these goals.
Creating a very active administrative team composed of dedicated people who love our country and willing to work shoulder to shoulder, investing time, energy, ideas and more important, love, friendship and respect as we develop our projects, on behalf of the image and socioeconomic status of Panama from the outside.
Who We Are:
20 years ago, in April 1991, after realizing that their Culture was not represented amongst the multicultural festivals in the Southern California area, a group of Panamanians created Ballet Folklórico Viva Panama. Later in April 1999, The Panamanian Cultural Arts Center is created as a response to the need of more exposure of the Panamanian Culture.
Viva Panama Organization (VPO) is the merge of these two first entities, as a way to fulfill the need of the Southern California community and consolidate it with a more comprehensive expression of the Culture of Panama. The formal inauguration of the organization took place on Sept. 14, 2002, in Los Angeles, California with the visit of the Panamanian Miss Universe 2002, Justine Pasek.
Our organization had the privilege and pride of establish the International Week of Panama" in the County of Los Angeles in 2003, when we celebrated galore our Centennial at the Anson Ford Theatre. Our organization is the main organization representing culturally our country in Central and Hispanic Associations.
Over time, our dance company has become one of the most respected, talented and professional the Los Angeles, been called by many the "Cultural Ambassadors of Panama". We have represented Panama locally in Southern California, nationwide and internationaly with great pride and great responsibility.
