Who am I ?
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Juan Urbina (dancer, teacher, choreographer, researcher) trained and worked in Venezuela, Ireland, Spain and Germany and holds a Master in Contemporary Dance Education (MA CODE) from the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main. His interest in Afro-diaspora practices responds to the goal of uplifting forms of embodiment that live in a world not devised for their existence. Juan ventures into gladdening spheres to encourage societal awareness and collective joy. He has initiated community dance productions in marginalised social contexts. In 2021, Juan was invited by the dance departments of the University of Virginia (US) and the Pontifical Catholic University of Perú to share a lecture research called Salsa Moving Identities, with a digital residency celebrating the international day of dance 2021.
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Photo by David Poertner
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Media, Writings and press
El Comercio. Perú.
Article: Bailando Salsa en Tiempos de Pandemia (April 2021)
In Dance Magazine. Dancer's Group
Article: When Salsa Swipes Right on Somatics, There is a Match by Juan Urbina and Amelia Uzategui
Press in Lippstadt, Germany:
Lippstadt. Durch Tanzen Grezen überwinden (Newspaper Article)
Westfälische Nachrichten Premiere Inklusives Tanzprojekt des MuM kommt gut an Grosses Finale auf der Stubengasse, Münster.
Irish Times. Culture. 'It gives me something to look forward to,' Dublin's homeless find solace in dance (Press Report with Video)
RTE News. "One step at a time - empowerment through dance" (Press report)
"Rising" Dance and Homelessness Documentary. Dublin Simon Community and Dublin Youth Dance Company (Video Documentary)
Dragon of Shandon Parade. Cork, Ireland 2017 (Video Rehearsals)
Dragon of Shandon Parade. Cork, Ireland 2017 (Video Performance)
St. Patrick's Festival Parade - City Fusion (Video)
Article: Bailando Salsa en Tiempos de Pandemia (April 2021)
In Dance Magazine. Dancer's Group
Article: When Salsa Swipes Right on Somatics, There is a Match by Juan Urbina and Amelia Uzategui
Press in Lippstadt, Germany:
Lippstadt. Durch Tanzen Grezen überwinden (Newspaper Article)
Westfälische Nachrichten Premiere Inklusives Tanzprojekt des MuM kommt gut an Grosses Finale auf der Stubengasse, Münster.
Irish Times. Culture. 'It gives me something to look forward to,' Dublin's homeless find solace in dance (Press Report with Video)
RTE News. "One step at a time - empowerment through dance" (Press report)
"Rising" Dance and Homelessness Documentary. Dublin Simon Community and Dublin Youth Dance Company (Video Documentary)
Dragon of Shandon Parade. Cork, Ireland 2017 (Video Rehearsals)
Dragon of Shandon Parade. Cork, Ireland 2017 (Video Performance)
St. Patrick's Festival Parade - City Fusion (Video)
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Community Dance Projects
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Artistic team: Juan Urbina and Linda Waldhoff
Connecting Communities is a dance project focused on accessibility and integration. It reaches individuals at the edge of society as well as everyone who is interested to get socially engaged and collaborate through multidisciplinary, artistic practice. Professional dancers and educators lead this as a week-long process. It takes place in institutions that are dedicated to people who are often in the margins of society, e.g. Die Werkstatt für Behinderte Lippstadt GmbH in Lippstadt. The aim of this project is aligned with the goals of the Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education discussed and published after the Second World Conference on Arts Education in 2010. One of these goals is to, “Ensure learners from all social backgrounds have lifelong access to arts education in a wide range of community and institutional settings” (UNESCO, 2010). The Road Map for Arts Education also states, “High-quality Arts Education requires highly skilled professional art teachers, as well as generalist teachers. It is also enhanced by successful partnerships between this and highly skilled artists.” (UNESCO; 2006). In line with The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the article 27 expresses, “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” This project aims to promote cultural education within diverse communities to innovate and pursue social well-being. See articles about this project below: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-eFrQWJ3D_CBZ8szc3NS0kJ25y4GmIxS/view |
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Baile Bua // Sounds Like Celebration (2017)
This project was the culmination of 3 years of community work as a volunteer in homeless shelters from Dublin and Cork, Ireland. During this time, persons from different backgrounds who experienced homelessness gathered once a week in a studio to practice a sense of community through movement, connecting to their senses in multiple forms of dance and somatic techniques. The group collectively engaged in movement research and integrated professional dancers from different movement practices (e.g. Contemporary dance and Hip Hop). During this time, the group performed in various community events such as: the annual Scrappy but Happy Book Launch, the Irish street medicine symposium and several donor engagement events.
Their Collaboration formed the Dublin Simon Community Dance Group with Patricia Whelan, Ana Martínez, Tom Smith, David Collins, among many other participants; and professional dance artists: Mary Lally, Ailish Claffey, Mónica Muñoz, Matt Szcerek, Karol Szarek; Music Composers Neil Sweeney and Dorota Konchevska, Singer Vinny Mannion.
Baile Bua: Sounds Like Celebration was their first evening-length dance performance devised for the general public. It was the culmination of three years of work that led to an Arts Council Dance Project Award. It was a performance that collectively showcased their credo: ‘That dance is for everyone, each dancer plays an important role, and no one is left behind.'
Testimonials from participants:
‘What I like most about dance is its ability to free one up from stress which is toxic and transform negativity and trauma into joy.’ – Patricia Whelan, Dublin Simon Community Dance Group Member.
'It is very fun, therapeutic, it helps us to stay in good shape, happy. I enjoy the rehearsals, the practices, I have fostered the sense of community in the group and group bonds have been created, this has allowed the group to remain constant, despite all the factors we have against' - Ana Martínez, Dublin Simon Community Dance Group Member.
Their Collaboration formed the Dublin Simon Community Dance Group with Patricia Whelan, Ana Martínez, Tom Smith, David Collins, among many other participants; and professional dance artists: Mary Lally, Ailish Claffey, Mónica Muñoz, Matt Szcerek, Karol Szarek; Music Composers Neil Sweeney and Dorota Konchevska, Singer Vinny Mannion.
Baile Bua: Sounds Like Celebration was their first evening-length dance performance devised for the general public. It was the culmination of three years of work that led to an Arts Council Dance Project Award. It was a performance that collectively showcased their credo: ‘That dance is for everyone, each dancer plays an important role, and no one is left behind.'
Testimonials from participants:
‘What I like most about dance is its ability to free one up from stress which is toxic and transform negativity and trauma into joy.’ – Patricia Whelan, Dublin Simon Community Dance Group Member.
'It is very fun, therapeutic, it helps us to stay in good shape, happy. I enjoy the rehearsals, the practices, I have fostered the sense of community in the group and group bonds have been created, this has allowed the group to remain constant, despite all the factors we have against' - Ana Martínez, Dublin Simon Community Dance Group Member.
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Rahmenbedingungen by MuM and Connecting Communities
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Premiere Inklusives Tanzprojekt des MuM kommt gut an Grosses Finale auf der Stubengasse, Münster.
With the medium of dance, individual from various backgrounds and forms of embodiment experience encounters at eye level. Within a project week in the leisure area of the multigenerational house and mothers center MuM e. V. in Münster, an organization that works with people with different requirements (with and without disabilities), they collaborated to develop a dance performance in Stubengasse in the Münster city center . They devised a reflection of their life experience, their moving identities and sense of community. At the same time, it reflected back a greater attention for the concerns about cultural participation of all citizens in society. To have a long-term effect, MuM e.V. opened their spaces and incorporated a new target group by installing a continuous dance program through this project. The project is continuing in the Summer of 2021. |
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