Community Building at BH: Students and Masters UnitePosted: December 31, 2013
“Community is defined as a group of two or more people who, regardless of the diversity of their backgrounds, have been able to accept and transcend their differences. They are able to communicate openly and effectively; and to work together toward common goals, while having a sense of unusual safety with one another.”
School of Dance Program Advisor Kiri Avelar writes this guest post on community building at Ballet Hispanico!
Ballet Hispanico is a community of dance; of children and adults, students and faculty. Recently, the mother of BHdos dancer Ana Estrada reached out to us, offering to teach a FREE master class on Spanish Dance to our students, and the word community rang clear. Gabriela Estrada is currently obtaining her PhD on the influence of Flamenco on Ballet at the University of Sevilla, Spain and has a strong passion for both dance and community.
On Saturday, November 23rd, we welcomed Ms. Estrada to our BH studios. A beautiful master class was held for our community of students: Pre-Professional Program levels 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, and General Program level Teen Flamenco II. The goal of the master class was to introduce and explore the connections between Escuela Bolera, Danza Estilizada and flamenco as a group. It was so thrilling to see students across levels and programs come together alongside our faculty in one setting.
It is vital that our students have experiences, such as this one, that inspire and motivate them, giving them a real sense of what they are working towards in their regular training at Ballet Hispanico. They begin to connect the dots in their learning and are introduced to new concepts from a fresh perspective. Their world is opened up to a myriad of possibilities and experiences, all through a flamenco and Spanish dance lens. Our flamenco faculty are passionate about their work in the classroom and feel a great sense of responsibility to instill the discipline, technique, and passion of their dance form to the community of students at Ballet Hispanico.
“Their world is opened up to a myriad of possibilities and experiences, all through a flamenco and Spanish dance lens.”
Believing in the importance of dance for a community, we continue to explore the many ways our students can have experiences outside of the classroom that will propel and illuminate their learning inside the classroom. Providing access to new opportunities, such as Gabriela Estrada’s master class on Spanish dance, builds upon the seeds they are planting, helping to further nourish these young artists.