Dancing Across Invisible Borders: Building Inclusive Dance Communities in Lebanon
Project partners:
- Nadra Assaf, Lebanese American University, Al-Sarab Dance School<
- Matthew Henley, Teachers College, Columbia University
Description of Project:
Although Lebanon has clear and established national borders, the religious and ethnic diversity of the country creates invisible borders with distinct cultural regions that don’t always have an opportunity to interact. We plan to host a series of workshops with dance educators from less visible regions of Lebanon (e.g., Bekaa Valley, Akkar, and rural villages), communities often underrepresented in cultural initiatives (Armenian, Syrian, Palestinian, and Indian, among others), and educators from the US and more metropolitan cities in Lebanon. These gatherings will allow for a sharing of information and practices across communities that include children and youth as well as their teachers. We will achieve our objectives for the project through carefully designed community workshops (in-person and online), cross-cultural teacher collaborations, and culminating events that highlight the students’ achievements.
Body Landscapes: Somatic and Creative Dance Explorations in Nature
Project partners:
- Tina Koščak, Primary School Gradec, Slovenia
- Yuridia Ortega Fragoso, independent dance and circus artist, Mexico
Description of Project:
Body Landscapes is an Outreach Project based in Slovenia that explores contemporary dance, somatic movement, acrobatics, and site-specific creation with children. Co-led by Tina Koščak and Yuridia Ortega Fragoso, the project enables children to discover movement, embodiment, and environmental awareness through creative exploration. The project will take place at Primary School Gradec, which includes one main school and four branch schools. Dance classes will be held at Kresnice and Jevnica branch schools. At Jevnica, the dance group includes a dancer who uses a wheelchair, promoting inclusive and adaptive dance practices. Tina and Yuridia will co-teach for approximately 2 to 4 weeks, exchanging methods, sharing expertise, and modeling collaborative learning. Children will engage in somatic explorations, acrobatic play, and site-specific dance outdoors—responding to the textures, sounds, and spaces of their natural environment. The project will culminate in a dance miniature for parents and the local community, celebrating children’s creativity and collective expression.