Ciudad Juarez.- The community of dancers in Ciudad Juárez is opening up to new proposals for contemporary dance, such as an initiative by Juarez native Valeria González to unite artists on the border.
Trained in ballet and contemporary dance, González seeks to provide safe spaces and create an inclusive community for artists of all ages and levels.
The artist, who began dancing at the age of five, recalled how the cultural panorama changed on this border after 2010.
“I feel that there was more culture in my time, when I started dancing at the age of five, and I think that there were even more opportunities in Juárez. But after 2010, many dance studios began to close due to the violence and things changed,” she said.
Now she seeks to create communities among artists interested in doing dance projects.
In January of this year, González organized a class called “Movement Research and Subconscious States” at San Luis Contemporáneo, a space for artists on the border.
This class attracted a community of 15 people interested in dance, including ballet dancers and theater actors.
“There is no age limit for expressing oneself through movement. The goal is to build a solid dance community in Juarez,” she said.
She also said that she wants to bring her company, named “Valleto,” to Ciudad Juárez at some point, and will offer classes and intensive courses in ballet and contemporary dance.
Studied in Guadalajara
During her training, Gonzalez studied ballet and jazz with teachers such as “Maru” Becerra and Carla Fernandez. She also explored hip-hop, influenced by her brother, she said.
To continue her professional training, she moved to Guadalajara to study Communication Sciences and participate in the “Pirouetteando” course, where she fell in love with the technique of Héctor Hernández, a renowned ballet teacher in the city of Guadalajara.
After training in Guadalajara, González lived in Montreal, Quebec, where her perspective on dance was broadened by experiencing performances that incorporated dance and theatre.
“I saw shows where there was nudity, but with a lot of appreciation for art, without any morbid connotations. Pina Bausch is the pioneer in dance theatre, and that influenced me to explore my vision as a professional,” explained González.
In January of this year, González organized a class called “Movement Research and Subconscious States” at San Luis Contemporáneo, a space for artists on the border.
She also thanked her friend Aaron Alonso, an actor from Juarez, for his support and motivation to contribute his experience and knowledge to this border.
For all interested community members, he indicated that they can follow his Instagram account @valletodance.
Undersecretary of Culture, Brenda Herrera, supported González’s initiative and mentioned that the state government is opening spaces for dance.
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