We are excited to launch our collaborator spotlights, introducing a member of our team to the JUNTOS community every month!
First up: JUNTOSLocal Director Alicia Delgadillo.
Ali joined the JUNTOS family in 2010 when she travelled on an Abroad trip to Mexico, initially intrigued by the organization’s ties to Latin roots and Hispanic heritage. Six years later, Ali is our JUNTOSLocal Director, organizing outreach events in New York, Boston and San Francisco and offering students an opportunity to participate locally.
We asked Ali a few questions about her JUNTOS journey so far. Here were her answers:
JUNTOS: Funny or inspiring JUNTOS memory?
Ali: Performing on the outdoor stage in San Miguel de Allende is the memory that sticks out the most to me. We were surrounded by what seemed like the entire town on all sides of the stage. It was remarkable to see the support the community has for each other and for the arts. I was really thankful in that moment to have been welcomed so warmly to their home.
Another memory is going out dancing in Guatemala after an evening performance. We were a smaller group than in Mexico and I just remember having so much fun dancing and letting loose with native Guatemalan people despite our cultural and language differences. It felt like we were all family.
J: What have you been up to since graduation? How did JUNTOS affect your career path?
A: I joined Hubbard Street 2 just before my senior year of college. I was lucky enough that my time off contract coincided with Senior week and graduation and was able to go back to New York to walk with my class. I spent two full years with Hubbard Street 2 and joined the main company of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in April 2014.
Photo by Todd Rosenberg
Now that I am in my third season, the dust of attaining the ‘dream job’ has settled and I realized that something had been missing from my life. JUNTOS left a lasting impact on me by showing me the direct effect of bringing dance to underserved communities. It wasn’t enough for me to only be performing in world-renowned theaters for audiences and people who can afford to see the ballet. This led me back to JUNTOS at just the right moment. The Local Director position had just been posted and I applied on a whim. I’m very happy I did it.
J: Aspirations for the future? What is one of your dreams?
A: Dance education, in a traditional sense, has mostly been tunnel-visioned into attaining a full-time company contract. Its focus has been mainly on technical and artistic training without much thought into all of the tools and knowledge that are necessary to keep said company alive.
A dream of mine is to become part of a team of educators that train dancers in a much more well-rounded way. I want my students to have a full understanding of company budgets, programming, branding and marketing, grant writing, and everything else that comes with being a full member of a dance company.
Stay tuned for our next collaborator spotlight in December!