Pachamama is a Latin American goddess of fertility who presides over planting and harvesting. She is a benevolent deity and Latin Americans recognized her before every meeting or celebration. After Catholicism overtook the region, Pachamama was masked by the Virgin Mary, behind whom she is invoked in native ritual. Her name can be translated as “Mother Earth” or “Mother Universe,” and she is a representation of the gifts the earth can give us. Dancing is one of those gifts. As we dance, the earth is our canvas, and our feet and bodies create the picture upon it. It’s only natural, then, that we should name a dance company after this powerful, yet caring, deity.