JUNTOSYouth
JUNTOS Youth Dance Volunteers at the Jardin Etnobotanical in Oaxaca (2024).
About
JUNTOSYouth is designed for advanced youth dance students (ages 14-18) to perform in underserved communities while immersing themselves in a new culture.
JUNTOS invites entire dance programs, companies, or student groups to apply together. We also welcome individual students to apply, who will then be assigned a designated trip leader.
In addition to JUNTOS staff, trip leaders include parent chaperones, school directors, and JUNTOS Alumni.
Apply to JUNTOS Youth!
JUNTOS Youth Dance Volunteers and CEFAO dancers after an afternoon of bonding through dance and games in Oaxaca (2024).
Apply for JUNTOSYouth 2026!
Interested in having your school or dance program participate? Email programs@juntoscollective.org with any questions or concerns!
Why choose JUNTOSYouth?
Over the nine-day trip, JUNTOSYouth dancers will strengthen their artistic voices and talents, develop leadership skills, engage in arts-focused community outreach, and participate in cultural exchange with local communities through various activities and events.
JUNTOS Youth Dance Volunteers on stage with local performers after their first performance at the cultural center in San Pablo Huitzo, Oaxaca (2024).
Experiential Learning Opportunities include:
• Performances in underserved communities such as foster homes, hospitals, retirement communities, and more
• Artisanal ceramics classes
• Workshops with local contemporary dance companies
• Day trips to historic sites such as the ancient ruins of Monte Alban
• Outdoor performances in the city center
Participants will gain:
• A more nuanced understanding of performance skills
• Firsthand knowledge of how art can impact lives
• Experience using dance as a universal language
• A more extensive movement vocabulary
• A deeper understanding of Latin American culture and art
• Spanish language skills
Check out our travel log from our 2024 trip to Oaxaca!
JUNTOS Youth Dance Volunteer Bivianna performing at the end of a movement workshop at La Casa de Niños, Oaxaca (2024).
Sample 9-Day Trip Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrivals, check into Hotel Abu, welcome dinner and walking tour
Day 2: Orientation, history class, rehearsal, meet/greet with students from CEFAO
Day 3: Outreach performance, master classes, visit to Oaxaca’s Botanical Gardens
Day 4: Outreach performance, Alebrijes painting workshop, collaborative dance exchange/rehearsal
Day 5: Visit outer municipality, exchange with local leaders and families over lunch, lead community dance workshops, public performance in town square
Day 6: Outreach performance alongside local dancers from CEFAO, Oaxacan cooking class, collaborative dance exchange/rehearsal
Day 7: Free time in Oaxaca City, final rehearsal, and final performance in the Zocalo!
Day 8: Visit Monte Alban, final debrief, closing dinner and celebration
Day 9: Return home!
JUNTOS Youth Dance Volunteers and CEFAO dancers participating in a dance workshop led by Michaela Ellingson in Oaxaca (2024).
Learn more about our Community Alliances in Oaxaca:
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- CEFAO, Director Fermin Ramirez – https://www.facebook.com/guelaguetzaoaxacaferminramirez/
- Compañía Estatal de Danza Contemporánea de Oaxaca – www.facebook.com/CompaniaEstatal.deDanzaContemporanea.deOaxaca/
JUNTOS Youth Dance Volunteers and CEFAO dancers bonding during a scavenger hunt in Oaxaca (2024).