Community of Madrid

In the community I found a comfortable, welcoming, diverse, inclusive place, where I quickly felt identified and included, with Laura Kumin and Miren Muñoz Vitoria, who were waiting for us that afternoon in June 2022. Since then I have found a comfortable place to be myself and express my art… I was immediately connected and committed to the project, art, performing, various scenarios and then put down roots in the Vilarynio Space, a cozy and comfortable place for weekly practices. 
I suffered one of the most difficult moments in my life, my mental health blocked all my paths and when I thought I was sunk in the dark, Miren, Laura and Marina Santo, they insisted on dancing with the community again, they said it would be good for me and really. Then I came back to the practices, and when I arrived, Marina Santo was moderating, working with different aromas, always giving back as much love as fits in her big heart. These practices sent me back the light and the path of peace and healing that allowed me to take charge of my life. Today I enjoy this growth and enrichment as a human being, trans person, artist and folklorist who feels, vibrates and lives with art and dance the most outstanding moment of my life. Without fear of living to show my non-normative, racialized and migrant body, but proud of my art, my color and my brilliance, a bit of feather as Javier Vaquero invites us in his fun and joyful practices, but finally being Olga Victoria Carreño Pedrozo, a human being infinitely grateful to Performing Gender: Dancing In Your Shoes and Paso a 2.

All that I have received from my colleagues has been understanding, support, affection, friendship, sustainability... in short, they are a community of dear people, the so-called chosen family, who does not judge you and accompanies you in your good and bad moments. I take with me that warmth that the community gives off, the knowledge that you have people who love you close to you. Everything learned that is not little. Personal growth and much lived (experiences with other communities, such as Los Veranos de la Villa (Elephants Laugh) among other experiences...

Of the artists who have gone through the workshops, I would link to mention Raquel Sanchez, I had a connection with her from the first moment that it seems as if we had known each other during all our lifes. For me, Raquel is an authentic person who knows how to connect with people. Her classes are very dynamic and my connection to my own body woke me up.

For me, getting to know the PG community has been like a gift in life, where all I take with me is riches. I am very very very grateful!!

What were the best moments you lived with the community?

The moments of reflection that were made at the end of each rehearsal (both with Marina and Javi) where each one expressed how they felt and how the experience in class had been. The beauty of how people open up and the generosity of sharing intimate things. These moments, although they make you more vulnerable, also make you grow as a person.

Freedom, empowerment, synergy, love and family. I will always remember when the lights turned off and all the community was hugging each other.

A corporeal and emotional process, which has been mixing and inspiring with the community. An accompanied journey through my roots, taking shape through movement. For me, the practices have been magical spaces, magical the choreographers, the atmosphere, our bodies. What has happened here has been magical. I don't think I can say more.

It's hard to sum up with words this experience that has been a path with surprises and discoveries and a turning point in our relation with our body and the other bodies, a new way of expression and a enjoyable creation of a community. The process has been enriched with different ways of understanding dance, identity and epowerment. This mix with our own knowledge and enthusiasm generated a magic cooking recipe that if you taste it...the addiction is assured! I'm not goig to choose the best moment because there is always a new one which improves the previous choice... I don't want Performing Gender to end.

My experience dancing with our comunity could be describe like this: many shoes, many shoes, many shoes, many shoes. Watch my unconfortable shoes. May I try yours? Look at these gentle shoes. Look at those pleasurable shoes. Where are my shoes? Let’s try your shoes. What a beautiful shoes we have! We have lived many best moments with our rooted dancemakers Javier, Marina and Miren, as many as shoes. We have had many beautiful experiences with travelling dancemakers too. I feel like if we (the comunity) were like Snow White’s dwarfs working in the diamond mine. https://youtu.be/jJllPxkHGPE Dancemakers are the generous mine. Thank you so much to everyone for all the love, shoes and diamonds that I take home with me. I will share them.