Tierras en danza
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
Tierras en danza arises as a contemporary dance project for rural areas with two main strands. An Intensive Dance Course for professionals which brings people all over the world to improve their skills, learn about sports science and get in touch with nature and citizens of the surroundings. Moreover, a Festival where dance is offered in open exhibitions and workshops in several villages. An opportunity of expressing through the physicality that contibutes to enhace the voice of the villages.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Description of the project
Summary
"Tierras en danza" aims to offer contemporary dance as a tool for rural development and improvement of the quality of life of their inhabitants. The project is based in natural and rural locations of Cáceres, Extremadura, where its first edition was held in 2020, restricted by the COVID preventive measures. This year will have its third edition, extended in time and venues: mainly villages from 400 to 4.000 inhabitants. It is splitted in two main areas:
-A summer intensive course for professional and amateur dancers where they can train with expert international teachers. The event is held in the International Centre of Sports Innovation in Nature "El Anillo", a unique blend of sports, architecture and nature. Technique, improvisation and creation workshops are developed both indoors and outdoors. Sport is the distinctive pillar, used as a tool for dancers to enjoy their physicality in a new and different way and discover a science field where they can learn about healthy habits as performers. An innovative and distinctive approach in this kind of events which alligns perfectly with the objectives of El Anillo. Moreover, activities are taken to natural scenarios, villages and cultural attractions nearby. The time and experience spent in these locations promotes the knowledge and appreciation of the rural lifestyle and attractions.
-A free dance festival for all the visitors. The programme has a wide variety of activities to encourage the participation with different approaches to erase the boundaries and misconceptions around art. Contemporary dance workshops for beginners; videodance projections filmed in the region with explanations of the creator; lectures about contemporary dance history in Spain and Europe, and shows in outdoor locations of the villages. This is the initial step on a long-term intervention in the area, where dance is watched, tasted and lived for the first time, breaking the ice and creating an atmosphere for deeper participation.
Key objectives for sustainability
The sustainability of "Tierras en danza", as the project itself, lies in the needs of the regions where it belongs. Extremadura is a vast territory with an very low density of population, undiscovered by many people even from its own country. The diffusion of the attractives of the villages and quality of life is always a potential benefit. The project has two main features. In our summer intensive we try to promote the rediscoverment of nature as a suitable option by the practice of sports without a negative impact in the environment. The increase in the appreciation of nature leads to a higher conciusness about its care and possible threats, and a more proactive attitude. In addition, all the main services for the attendees are contracted in the nearby area to create a positive impact in the populations and enterpreneurs that surround El Anillo. By this investment on the local economy, the carbon footprint of the event is reduced. Moreover, the mobility of the event during the activities tends to use the bus everytime it is possible to reduce the use of individual cars. Last but not least, the main attractions and advantages of rural areas are shown to the attendees, who come from different regions of Spain and Europe.
On the other hand, the festival puts the emphasis in culture as a source for social sustainability. The promotion of the arts and cultural activity act as a key inducement for populations to remain on their home territory, as well as to come back. Besides, it can create an audience that demands more art as a form of leisure or self expression: regular clases, shows, events... Local artists have been contacted to create a network and highlight their constant presence in the territory. All kind of activitites that increase the attractive of the villages and towns as a place to visit, stay or move. As a matter of fact, the festival brought respectful tourism interested in dance from different urban areas far bigger that the venues.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
We are part of a society in which messages like "you are not good at it" or "that is useless" have frequently been used referred to art. The paradigm of valuable knowledge only related to economic profit needs to be changed in order to live in a healthier society, where the positive impact of beauty, creativiy and expression are considered like a relevant part of our life.
Luckily for us, we count with the support of El Anillo, a unique sport centre in nature with amazing facilities. A huge glass and metal ring in a peninsulae, surrounded by a reservoir, with a modern and functional architecture. Moreover, the extremely beautiful landscape is used as a source for inspiration and creation, as many of the workshops are located outdoors. The blend between nature and architecture becomes real throught the interaction of the dancers with the space in an immersive experience. As a project based in art, aesthetics is an essential part of it. Contemporary dance embraces this idea not only through a traditional conception of beauty, but also taking into consideration emotion, interaction, contemplation and living of the present moment. In contrast, in the most technical and biomechanical part, beauty is found in the movement by chasing the functionality of the motion, searching for the flow of forces and the sensation of minimun effort.
Regarding the festival, the discovery of the pleasure of dancing by the citizens is one of the most satisfying aspects. This work increases the sensitivity of the participants as audience and their demands of art classes in their communities, leading to new forms of self expression and creation of beauty. Furthermore, live performances took place in common locations of the village. This new interpretation of habitual public spaces has a poetic impact in the public who observes as the rutinary becomes extraordinary for a few minutes, and how a new perspective turns mundane into special (an ability we all can reach).
Key objectives for inclusion
In terms of inclusion, the summer intensive had a clear line of thought; we did not want anyone to be excluded by economic reasons. That is why already in our first edition, organised in COVID times and with no previous events in the area to be known for, there were two attendees with reduced registration fees. Economic flexibility has become a rule, and people who could not afford the assitance have received grants to guarantee the equal opportunities. Besides, we put an special emphasys in facilitating the access to artist from the region, as events like this are not common in the area and people usually must travel to take professional workshops.
Regarding the festival, most activities were opened for everyone but adapted to the people who participated. Dance classes were planned for adults or children separate in different sessions, so the concepts are worked according to their specific needs. However, no other criteria was used for selection, and everyone who register was included in the workshops. What's more, people were encouraged to participe in all the activities and to contact the organisation for future classes or enquiries. The main goal of the contemporary dance classes of the festival is to enjoy the movement, even make a hobbie out of it and create a community of citizens who practice exercise and consider art as part of their lifes. Keeping this in mind, everyone is welcome to the festival, whatever their degree of implication.
Communication and exchange of ideas are basic in our consideration of the project. We want the audience to feel and identify dance as part of their environment, whether an activity they can practice as a hobbie, an alternative to spend their free time or a way of understanding culture. To do so, activities include dialogues among artists and the audience, to understand and share the different perspectives of the previosuly experienced. The voice of the public in rural areas must be included in the creative processes.
Results in relation to category
Currently we are working on the third edition and have already seen some results; several local dance artists with difficulties to perform in the local spaces have already asked for support and visibility, and the festival wants to become a meeting point for these performers to meet and find new alliances. The festival itself was widely appreciated by the audience on its different venues, and this year there will be more villages where worshops and shows will be held.
In spite of performing in villages where contemporary dance was hardly ever seen before, the shows performed created high expectation and people have demanded another edition. There are many towns and villages which could programme dance shows with a large discount in the budget (even 70% subsidized by the regional government). However, contemporary dance is not familiar to the citizens in rural areas, and local goverments do not consider, not to say dare, to include this kind of performances in the cultural programming of the year. After contacting many of the cultural politicians in charge, we have registered a dance company in all their catalogues, so many little populations can have dance shows and activities for an affordable price.
As for the summer intensive, many people from Spain and other countries in Europe are showing interest and joining the courses. The event makes people from all over the world move to a place thay might have never travelled. As a result, Extremadura is more often heard in professional contemporary dance circuits, and the region is becoming better known for its cultural activity, its landscapes and other touristic attractives. There is also an identity problem that Tierras en danza is contributing to solve; population from the surrounding area of El Anillo, whose facilities used to have restricted access, do no feel the place as their own and do not see the benfits from its existence. The presence of dance in their villages is helping to change their perspective.
How Citizens benefit
As a result of the COVID situation, the collaboration with associations and different entities has been difficult along theses two years. People were reluctant to meet in person and talk about the project, not to mention participate in the organisation. As there is a wide elderly group in the villages, the communication through the social media was not possible as an alternative. However, many citizens from the venues and the nearby villages came to the shows outdoors, and encouraged us to contact their local governments and organise a wider festival in the next editions. The communications and exchange included in every activity led to increase the network and have local collaborators in the different venues. Due to this local involvement and word-of-mouth, the festival grew from one venue to five, and included an Autumn extension. This year the festival will have at least six venues, and a few more are to confirm.
Tierras en danza, as was said before, promotes exercising and responsible and active tourism. As a result, some of the local active tourism companies are currently helping us to reach local governments, and their services will be offered to all the people of the festival to enjoy more sport activities.
Part of the audience of last year came from dance academies of urban areas as Salamanca or Cáceres which we contacted beforehand. Teachers of these academies have started to consider dance as an opportunity in rural areas, and in 2021 a dance summer camp took place in another village organised by one of this schools. As a new NGO we insist on something; we are just a group of motivated people willing to change things. The rural areas in which we intervene is full of talented citizens who only need to meet the right people to start improving their environment.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
For us, the most innovative character of the project is the feedback and relation between the two main lines. A self financed summer intensive for professional dancers, who usually work and live in urban areas. The attendees come mainly from other regions and countries, and their investment has a touristic impact in the region and cultural impact in themselves and in the citizens of the area. In contrast, the area has a festival accesible for everyone, where some of the performers are the attendees, and enjoy new and stimulanting activities for a few weeks. In the planning of the project there was something crucial: our wide perspective of dance and its benefits. First of all, the consideration of dance as a high physical demand activity equiparable to sport, which encouraged us to apply for a unique sports facility as El Anillo to be our main venue for the summer intensive. This way we fight for the dancers to have all medical and training support they need to have a long and rich career, as many sportspeople do. Whereas, we try to spread knowledge about injury prevention and healthy habits as a theoretical part of the summer intensive in short lectures. We also consider dance as a way of self expression suitable for everyone, no matter the age or physical conditions. Of course, high skills requiere frequent and intense training, but every person can enjoy amateur dance in its own way. The singular mix of dance as an art, form os self expression and phisical activity make of it a strongly recommendable form of exercise. Finally, it is important to consider dance as art, and so, it has the ability to create communities, break walls and open minds. If we listen to the rural population, their problems and concers, dance creations can amplify their voices and become a new agent of change. The visibilization of a wide precentage of more than half of the percetage of our country could find that contemporary creation is connected with them in a powerful way.
Learning transferred to other parties
To begin with, as the festival in held in rural areas, you have to get to know all the possible agents involved in person. In this small communities everyone knows each other, and you need to be met personally to be trusted. However, this meeting are not always possible, and usually you can find yourself knocking at empty doors. The best way possible to reach the person you want is often through a friend or an acquaintance; someone from the town who lives there of travels there frequently, who can back you up in front of the local authorities or just facilitate the right email of phone number. Unfortunately, it does not matter how good your project is if nobody is willing to read or listen to it. Another importante learning is to get to know the real spacing, facilities and conditions where the activities will take place. If you are going to start an innovative activity related to something completely unknown for the coorganisers you should not take anything for granted. Make sure the floor, temperature, timing of the day and everything you might need will be there, and consider alternatives. Art and culture buildings are hard to find in these regions, and you will have to plan carefully which will be the best location fot your activity. If you hesitate about the routine of the citizens, ask people who live there to find the best timing, specially if the success of the activity relies on participation. In relation to economics, do not rely only in one possible funder, whatever public or private. Be ready for public funds and subsidies to be late. Transparency is always positive. For the best development of every project we would recommend to have an interdisciplinary team, with different perspectives to enrich the debates and problem solving. Moreover, it is optimal to have reliable cooperator in the venues whenever possible. Someone who believes in the project and knows how to adapt everything to the location, so it is the best possible.
