At Risk Children Dance for Social Change

We still remember the day when Angel decided to be a dancer.

We had been invited by the Panama International Film Festival to see "Yuli", the story of Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta that portrayed his childhood as a rebellious child and adolescent, undisciplined, with a wonderful talent, who fully lived the contradictions that arise from the rigor that demands to grow up in such demanding art as dance.

Through the power of representation in the Cinema, Ángel could see himself reflected in that black dancer, coming from an impoverished neighborhood, who loved and shunned his talent at the same time. But the most important thing that night was that, for 115 minutes, he had a window into what his future could be.

With eyes wide as saucers, and shacked to the bone, at 14 years old Angel communicated to his teachers his ardent desire to be a dancer, just like Yuli.

 From then on, Angel worked hard, very hard. In addition to taking his classes at Enlaces, he received a scholarship to study in a high-level dance academy in Panama and accepted all artistic challenge that crossed in front of him. He won awards, leading roles and at the age of 17 he was invited to participate in the Panamanian Professional Dance company COCO, which allowed him to fulfill one of his dreams: To travel to New York to perform at an international festival. It was his first time on a plane.

The opportunity Angel worked for came. Today Ángel is in Barcelona studying through a scholarship at the International High Training Center for Dancers Barcelona Ballet Project.

 Although even the impetus and passion that make Angel an exceptional dancer can still challenge the patience of his teachers, and even though the road he must travel is still extensive, we are proud that our Yuli is living the dream that was born that movie night.