Juan Urbina

Access newest website here:
www.juanurbinadance.com

Juan Urbina
Coreographer, Dance Artist and Teacher

Juan Urbina (dancer, teacher, choreographer) trained and worked in Venezuela, Ireland and Germany and holds a Master in Contemporary Dance Education (MA CODE) from the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. He focuses on physical states that derive from Afro-diaspora dances to find syncretic ways to connect and transform physicality. The diversity and the unifying notions of traditional and contemporary dance encourage him to move in this field. He searches for social justice with dance as a medium. As a response to normative ideologies that divide, his work elevates forms of embodiment that live in a world not designed for their survival. Juan creates emerging dance work that provides visibility, joy and kin-making. He has initiated community dance productions with homeless, immigrant and disabled persons. Awarded by the Arts Council of Ireland, He choreographed Baile Bua: Sounds Like Celebration (2017).

Photo credit: David Poertner

Recent Works

La Descarga [Digital] (2020)

Connecting Communities Dance Project (2019, ongoing)

Archived of Projects

Connecting Communities Dance Project (ONGOING)
Artistic team: Juan Urbina and Linda Waldhoff
Website: https://connectingcommunitiesdanceproject.wordpress.com/home/

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. The project also focuses on contemporary dance and somatic embodiment. 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. a workshop for people with mental or physical disabilities or a shelter for homeless people. The initial phase of this project took place in Arbeitnehmer der Werkstatt für Behinderte in Lippstadt, summer 2019. This project continues into winter 2020 (postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.)

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

Premiere Inklusives Tanzprojekt des MuM kommt gut an Grosses Finale auf der Stubengasse

BAILE BUA // sOUNDS LIKE CELEBRATION (2017)

This project was the culmination of 3 years of work as a volunteer in homeless shelters in Dublin and Cork, Ireland. During this time a group of people from different backgrounds who experienced homelessness met once a week in a studio to experience a sense of community through dancing, practicing connection through multiple dance and somatic techniques as an unifying force. The group collectively engaged in movement research and integrated professional dancers from different movement practices (Contemporary dance and Hip Hop). Throughout 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.
In Collaboration with members of the Dublin Simon Community Dance Group: Patricia Whelan, Ana Martínez, Tom Smith, David Collins; professional dance artists: Mary Lally, Ailish Claffey, Monica Muñoz, Matt Szcerek, Karol Szarek; Music Composers Neil Sweeney and Dorota Konchevska, Singer Vinny Mannion.
Baile Bua: Sounds Like Celebration was their full length dance performance they created directed to the general public. It was the culmination of three years of work that led to the 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.