Body Expression & Latin Dance Fundamentals (Online)

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE! CLICK HERE TO APPLY!

Scholarship deadline: Saturday, April 24th, 2021
Enrollment deadline: Saturday, May 1st, 2021
Dates: Thursdays in May at 4pm
Ages: 7 – 11 years old
Language: Intermediate English & Spanish language listening skills required. The class is taught using a combination of English & Spanish and require that the children understand both languages (while one may be stronger than the other).

Body Expression & Latin Dance Fundamentals for Kids with Maestra Juliana Mendonca

This class is part of La Peña’s Mundo Musicales Kids Class Series, whose curriculum is designed to develop musicianship, physical coordination, self-expression, bilingual literacy/pronunciation skills, multicultural awareness and a strong sense of identity. In this exciting dance class children will be exposed to fundamental music and rhythms from Latin America and will develop body intelligence and self-confidence through creative body expression. The students will learn to connect to their bodies with exploratory play and learn skills like: following the rhythm, improvisation, movement games and simple choreography.

Please note: Some supplies are required for this class, and you are responsible for purchasing those supplies. If you need further clarification or help finding the supplies, please contact us.

Supplies needed:

• A balloon
• A flashlight

Teacher Bio: Juliana Mendonca

Juliana Mendonca is a Venezuelan Contemporary Dance performer, choreographer and teacher specializing in Latin dance, contemporary dance, as well as yoga and body expression for children. She graduated with a degree in dance from the University Institute of Caracas, Venezuela in 2005 and is also a certified Yoga instructor. She taught in the Performing Arts Department of the University of the Andes in Mérida, Venezuela 2012-2015 and at the Traditional Dance Program of the National University for the Arts in 2008. In 2005, Juliana co-founded Raíz de Agua, a music and dance company, which is her principal artistic endeavor. Since then, she has performed mostly as a solo artist with the Company and through dance has found a way to connect her creativity to spirit and nature, compounded with a unique feminine and artistic self-awareness. Juliana has worked in collaboration with other artists and companies such as Sarta de Cuentas, an Afro- Venezuelan contemporary dance company, Fundación Andróginos, a physical theater company and played the leading role in Xarop, a movie about Venezuelan Llanero music and dance. She has also worked in a wide variety of projects and events in conventional and non-conventional spaces such as plazas, galleries, museums, parks and national and international festivals. Juliana is currently based in Oakland, California.