In celebration of America 250, award-winning choreographer Paula Nuñez presents La Séptima, an original interdisciplinary production inspired by the people, cultures, industries, and defining moments that helped shape Tampa's identity and the American story itself.

La Séptima began in 2019 at Hillsborough Community College's Ybor campus as the first work in a trilogy inspired by Tampa's tobacco workers and immigrant history. Originally developed as a smaller community-based production rooted in the stories and atmosphere of Ybor City, the project has steadily evolved into a larger-scale artistic initiative with expanding artistic ambition, civic engagement, and community partnerships.

In 2020, Tampa City Ballet adapted the work into a film project, exploring the emotional and historical parallels between the 1918 flu epidemic and contemporary experiences of isolation, resilience, and human connection. In 2023, the project continued to grow through Interstices, an immersive and highly successful site-responsive production presented at the historic Cuban Club, blending dance, theater, film, music, and architecture into a living experience of Tampa's cultural memory.

Today, La Séptima stands as Tampa City Ballet's most ambitious original production to date,  a powerful theatrical experience that merges dance, opera, live music, multimedia projections, and technology to honor the communities and generations that built Tampa into what it is today.

From families and cigar workers to the spirit of the and the rise of a growing city, La Séptima celebrates resilience, labor, heritage, ambition, and civic pride. The production highlights the lasting contributions of a diverse community whose cultural traditions and labor helped transform Tampa into one of America's most historically rich and diverse cities.

Rather than presenting history as a distant narrative, La Séptima brings the past into dialogue with the present through contemporary performance and storytelling. Themes of migration, public health, cultural identity, belonging, and perseverance connect Tampa's local history to the broader American experience being reflected upon during America 250.

La Séptima is both a tribute and a celebration of the people, cultures, and shared histories that continue to shape our city.

The Cigar Maker's Daughter

The Cigar Maker's Daughter is an immersive installation inspired by real events from the Newman family history and Tampa's cigar-making legacy. Drawing from archival history and personal narratives, the work honors the generations of cigar makers who helped shape the city's cultural identity. Through a contemporary interpretation of local history, the installation transforms the voices and experiences of the past into an embodied encounter.