At Risk Children Dance for Social Change

We start a new year with a new purpose: Give the word to our teenagers and serve as a platform to support their searches and creations.

Sociedad Moldeadora de Mentes (Society molding minds) is a collective creation directed by Joameth Manzané, 14 years old and student of Enlaces since 2012.

The proposal - which was born just over a year ago - seeks to question the way in which the social context conditions the freedom of people to choose who they want to be.

The director, along with his teachers, led a process of collective creation with 11 boys and girls from Enlaces Program, composed the choreographic structure, and guided the group towards the stage objective that culminated with a presentation at the end of the summer.

Sociedad Moldeadora de Mentes constitutes a harsh criticism of social determinisms, the condescending look, the prevailing stereotypes about children and youth in the slums, and at the same time, it is a challenge to hopelessness

"Sometimes society limits and molds us, preventing us from getting ahead. Dance is a tool that allows us to build opportunities". Joameth, 14 years old. Director

The piece was presented in the cities of Panama and Boquete on February 15th and 19th, 2017, and later an extract from it was presented at the Macro Fest Creative Industry Festival on March 23th, and in INColectiva Festival, on March 24^th, 2017

Cristine and Jaime: Two forces of Nature.

With the support of the  Fundación Espacio Creativo (FEC), the brazilian choreographer and dancer Carolina Figueiredo undertook a project that sought to expand the limits of contemporary dance in Panama, joining five young teenage artists, two of whom are part of the Enlaces Program.

Thus was born Vértice - The delicacy of the days, a performance that through an innovative proposal was presented in public spaces of the City of Panama on February 11 and 12, allowing a diverse audience to have the opportunity to visualize the possible worlds that can be reached through art.

Jaime, winner of the Diamond Medal in the International Competition Danza Activa (Panama, 2016) and Cristine, an emerging and promising talent of the Enlaces Program, were our ambassadors in this initiative that, in the words of its director, was a window to contemplate the fragility of the days and the power that it exerts in us to believe in a wider future.

"At the beginning of the project I was nervous. This was something new for me. We were gradually working on the choreography, and closer to the performance, the rehearsals became more demanding. I always felt super concentrated, as if we were at the level of professionals. I loved the final product: the choreography, the costumes, the music and making new friends. I was very happy"  Cristine, 12 years old. Dancer.