JUNTOSYouth
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.
Interested in having your school or dance program participate? Email cristiana@juntoscollective.org
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.
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
• New dance friends from around the world!
Sample 9-Day Trip Itinerary:
- Monday: Arrivals and check into hotel – groups fly together from home city to Oaxaca
- Tuesday: Orientation, rehearsal, walking tour, history class, meet/greet with students from local dance school
- Wednesday: Outreach performance, visit Papalutla for arts/crafts class with Tierra Mariposa, Mexican Folklorico Master Class
- Thursday: Outreach performance, Alebrijes painting workshop, Oaxaca Contemporary Company Master Class, collaborative dance exchange/rehearsal
- Friday: Visit Etla, and spend the day at Centro de las Artes de San Agustín
- Saturday: Oaxacan cooking class, collaborative dance exchange/rehearsal
- Sunday: Outreach performance alongside local Folklórico Group at local middle school, visit to Botanical Gardens, and the final performance
- Monday: Visit Monte Alban, closing dinner and celebration
- Tuesday: Return home!
Safety
- Students will fly together with either a JUNTOS Staff member, a director, or a parent chaperone.
- Students are never left alone.
- Students will never have a need for public transportation. We use a private transportation company who are close friends of JUNTOS.
- Hotel accommodations are in the center of the city, in a very safe tourist driven area with lots of security.
- Students will never be out at night without a chaperone.
- Our partner organizations are long time friends of JUNTOS. Their support and knowledge of the area contribute to our confidence in the level of safety and security we have in traveling to Central America.
- All JUNTOS Staff members have ample experience and knowledge about traveling throughout Central America.
Learn more about the Community Alliance Organizations that we partner with:
- CEFAO, Director Fermin Ramirez – https://www.facebook.com/guelaguetzaoaxacaferminramirez/
- Mujer de Barro – https://www.mujerbarro.com/
- Compañía Estatal de Danza Contemporánea de Oaxaca – www.facebook.com/CompaniaEstatal.deDanzaContemporanea.deOaxaca/
- Centro de las Artes de San Agustín – http://www.casa.oaxaca.gob.mx/wp/
