A community arts project at an orphanage in Mexico: a research study investigating the effects of collaboration between dance artists and an orphan population through the medium of dance

This document explores a community dance project at an orphanage in Mexico and the investigations following. This project researched how dance can be used to create a transformative and empowering experience for the participant and what discoveries of identity are made through dance. The research took place at an orphanage in Texcoco, Mexico and at Arizona State University. The participants in this research include three dance artists from Arizona State University and 10 ten-year-old children from Mexico. The portion that took place in Mexico was conducted in daily three-hour classes over the span of two weeks. For five months following the two weeks in Mexico, weekly rehearsals were held and a culminating concert was performed on November 20th–22nd of 2015.