Educate and empower at risk children through dance

Dear sponsors and supporters: 

Hello there, everyone! We're so excited to share with you all the amazing things that have been happening in the Danzárea Program over these last few months. Our students have been working hard and having a blast!

First of all, we have been focusing on getting our students in tip-top shape with some seriously cool physical conditioning classes. They've been learning both contemporary and aerial dance techniques, and we have already seen some good improvements in their skills. But we haven't just been working on their bodies, we have also been helping them strengthen their minds, and for those who needed it, we have provided academic reinforcement sessions focused on math and reading comprehension.

Of course, it's not all work and no play in the Danzárea Program. We recently had a picnic day during the Panamanian summer, where the kids got to let loose and have some fun. It was a great opportunity for them to learn about the importance of communication and asking for help - skills that are just as important as anything they'll learn in the classroom.

And speaking of skills, we have also been working hard with our intensive program group - our older students - to create an amazing contemporary dance choreography that they'll be performing in diferent events throughout the year. We can't wait for everyone to see all the incredible things they've learned!

Finally, we have been having some great discussions with all our students about personal growth and life projects. It has been a wonderful opportunity for them to explore who they are and who they want to become.

We are so proud of all our students and the hard work they've been putting in.

Thank you for your continued support of the Danzárea Program!

From our Gramo Danse family we wish you happy holidays and hope that the magic of these days reaches your homes and arrives loaded with health, peace, love and hope. May 2023 be a year of new opportunities and success for all of you, dance lovers, believers in the transformative power of culture, who give us the drive and strength to continue working for Panama. We are VERY grateful for all the support you have given us not only this year, but all the years before.

We are sure that in 2023 we will be able to continue counting on you, because our love for dance is what unites us!

Still searching for a meaningful gift to make? Here’s an opportunity: 

Daniel is a 20-year-old Panamanian, who graduated this year from the Danzárea Program, after 8 years of training. He has also just finished his secondary studies and wants to continue his studies in dance, to begin his journey to become a professional dancer.

His next step outside of Danzárea will be in the Danza Abierta Training Program, in Costa Rica. This program lasts three years and its main emphasis is on technical training in contemporary dance and classical ballet, for people with previous basic or intermediate training, like him.

He has been selected among 120 young people who participated in the audition and will soon be traveling to Costa Rica to begin his studies in January.

With your contribution we can support him to cover his tuition expenses and part of his monthly expenses during his first year in the program.

We count on your support to continue training professional dancers for our country!

If you want to support Daniel starting his dancing career, we have set up a microproject for him, you’ll find the link below.

Links:

• Microproject for Daniel

We are very happy to announce that next September 24th we will be presenting DANZAREA’s annual show. This year's theme is inspired by the story of “The Wizard of OZ” by Lyman Frank Baum.

Our children take this fantastic story to turn it into a work of aerial and contemporary dance that we know will transport adults and children to this wonderful magical world, where dreams come true, fears are overcome and we learn that "there is no place like home ”.

In addition to dancing throughout the year, our children and young people are benefiting from our most recent program, dedicated to academic accompaniment. Through the timely diagnosis of some deficiencies or learning difficulties, we are working to provide academic support to resolve these situations. We have volunteer tutors, and an academic coordinator, who are constantly working with our students throughout the year so that their school performance is exemplary. 

So far, a total of 87 students have benefited from our DANZÁREA program this year. This includes:

• 8 hours of aerial and contemporary dance classes per week

• Psychological accompaniment

• Academic support and personalized tutorials

• Cultural activities

• 13 of these students take classes at their school as part of the PASADIZO community outreach program.

• 6 students belong to a special group which was created to give additional training (classical ballet) to those young people who show not only talent but also interest in deepening their dance technique.

Thanks to the support obtained so far, we have been able to continue our program in person, and we hope to continue counting on your contributions to successfully complete this school year for DANZAREA, which will end in December.

 Thank you for believing in us and the work we do for the benefit of our Panamanian youth.

Links:

• http://www.gramodanse.org

It has been almost 24 years since Fundacion Gramo Danse adopted the mission of promoting the appreciation and practice  of aerial and contemporary dance in Panama. To achieve this, we have concentrated this year’s efforts on two main projects: 

- CIA. Gramo Danse, our dance group and creative pillar, and 

- DANZAREA, our social program, with a 13-year history of transforming the lives of children and young people who live in areas of social risk. 

While CIA. Gramo Danse participates in professional training and international festivals, carries out artistic and creative residencies, and tours the interior of Panama to showcase the dance pieces on film: "k.IROS (morpho se fue)" and "ONEIROS". Thanks to our sponsors, we project these dance pieces on video free of charge for thousands of people. 

All of our plans for 2022 are underway!

“In our social program, this year we managed to return to 100% to face to face  lessons, launching two new projects: PASADIZO, through which we will take contemporary dance classes directly to some schools in our community (Panama Viejo and Parque Lefevre) and the Academic Support Program, which will focus mainly on supporting students with their school responsibilities and on the development of time management skills.” noted Nereyda Rey, Director of DANZAREA. 

Yesterday, we presented all these efforts and plans at the presentation of our annual fundraising campaign, where participants enjoyed a Craft Beer Tasting, while we presented our Plans 2022. 

The event was attended by directors, collaborators, suppliers, donors, sponsors and the media, who learned, first-hand, our plans, including the celebration of the 10th anniversary of XIELO, our dance studio and performing space, home of both CIA. Gramo Danse and DANZAREA. During the event, our president, Ximena Eleta de Sierra, highlighted the creation of new dance works, performances open to the public, open workshops and educational programs, both in Panama and abroad, with the participation of local and international artists who seek to promote the Arts in Panama.

We know you support our efforts and that is why you are receiving this message. Without you, none of this would be possible. 

We invite you, if you have not already done so, to make your donation this year and help us get closer to reach our goals.

Thank you for being part of our team!

Links:

• Our website

The year 2021 is comming to its end, but the lective year at DANZÁREA is already over.

It was a year of great changes for the better within our program. We were gradually able to return to face-to-face classes, and that means, among other things, AERIAL DANCE LESSONS!

After a full year without being able to give aerial dance lessons and concentrating the program only on contemporary dance and physical preparation (virtually), finally, as of June, we were able to start bringing small groups of students to XIELO to take, some for the first time, aerial dance lessons. It was a total success!

We can proudly report that we ended the year having served 105 students (ages 4 to 20) throughout the year. These students received classes (both virtual and face-to-face) in contemporary and aerial dance, physical preparation, dance workshops with external teachers, both local and foreign, and participated in cultural activities too.

This year we not only presented a full year-end presentation; "Aventuras de Plenilunio", but we also graduated three of our oldest students: Génesis and Valeria, who particpated both in DANZÁREA for the last 7 years, and Álvaro, who holds the record for the longest permanence in our program, with12 years in DANZÁREA (he started with us when he was only 5 years old). This is a source of pride for us, as we are sure that these three young people will be agents of positive change in their communities and already have great plans for their future.

Although this was a good year for us, both at DANZÁREA and at Fundación Gramo Danse, we are very excited about the arrival of the new year, as we have great plans for 2022. For example: DANZÁREA will return 100% to face-to-face lessons, and our CIA. Gramo Danse will be working on a new piece of contemporary and vertical dance that will be presented in the first quarter of the year, and after this, they will start a vertical dance residency with Brenda Angiel from Argentina, thanks to the support of the IBERESCENA Fund, which we have won for fifth time, and the third consecutive year. We couldn't be happier!.

We will also have the participation of other CÍA. Gramo Danse works in both national and international festivals, and we hope to be able to carry out an educational tour in the capital and the interior of the country with works such as k.IROS (morpho se fue) and ONEIROS.

We are very happy to have had your support this year, and all previous years. But we are more happy to know that we will continue to count on you, as long as we continue dancing. 

Greetings and happy holidays from our family to yours

Links:

• Our website