Raquel Ruiz

Director of El Bus con Remos / El Bus de Frida

Raquel Ruiz, a Colombian-born, United States naturalized, and citizen of the world, created El Bus con Remos in October 2022 to transport audiences through the multiple artistic regions of Latin America to showcase its richness and versatility. Ruiz is a poet, writer, and journalist, who grew up in a Magical Realism cultural country, where reality and magic hold hands.

Brainstorming to create a show for Teatro Nagual to stage at the Sofia, Home of B Street Theater in Sacramento, her fingers on the keyboard typed simply: Bus con Remos. “What better way to travel than on a bus that could ride, fly, and navigate the oceans?” Ruiz thought. El Bus con Remos is a hybrid creation that brings together theatre, music, dance, acrobatics, poetry, and literature. Ruiz’s original scripts are meant to entertain and educate the public. Originally staged at the Sofia, Home of B Street Theater, in Sacramento, The Bus made its debut on December 16, 2022, during the Latin Cabaret hosted by Teatro Nagual. The inaugural journey transported 14 artists through Latin America and ended with the entire audience dancing on – and off-stage – for an ultimate Latin celebration of music and community. It was the first of its kind to be performed entirely in Spanish.

Raquel Ruiz is a poet, teacher, journalist, event organizer and boxer. She is an independent non-fiction/fiction writer freelancing for media outlets in the USA, Canada, Latin America & Europe. She serves on the Board of Directors of Teatro Nagual as the Multimedia & Marketing Specialist Consultant where she works to increase visibility and interest in artistic experimental new performances. Additionally, she is on the Board of Directors for the Amherst Writers and Artists. Ruiz is the recipient of the Jose Marti National Silver Award in Journalism for Education and Immigration. She was a writer for the Associated Press, Impremedia, the Spanish newspaper chain in the USA, and the European magazine ECOS based in Germany. In Canada, she has published articles alongside her photography in critical newspapers for the Canadian Olympic Committee. She served as the Twitter expert for the prestigious newspaper The Guardian, in the UK, during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Ruiz was awarded Best Performance with Accompaniment for the inaugural S’more Poetry and Song Competition in 2022. She was recognized on August 21, 2023 as one of the 40 icons of art who have had a significant impact on Placer County’s arts and culture. Ruiz is a resident of Roseville and Placer County.