Dancers Helping Dancers with Blanca Huertas Agnew

Blanca Huertas-Agnew, Philadelphia choreographer and dance teacher, is the founder and artistic director of the Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition.  The goal of PRCDC is to create a platform for young people in artistic development to continue their studies in professional companies with the possibility of being hired as future professionals in classical dance. It aims to provide resources through scholarships to students who exhibit extraordinary talent and assist in their development through scholarships to assist in the costly training. Today Blanca joins Emily Brunner to talk about her journey founding the competition, which will be taking place February 28th, 29th and March 1st 2020 in Puerto Rico.

In today's episode Blanca talks about:

• How ballet and Puerto Rico have been an Important part of her life
• How Hurricane Maria affected dancers' education in Puerto Rico
* How Blanca has personally seen dancers lives changed by furthering their education In universities and at intensives
• How the competition will help dancers and who the competition Is for
• The universities and school that are awarding scholarships through the competition
• How we can all help by paying It forward

Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition website: https://prcdc.art

Click here for direct link for donation to Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition.

Music: "On Brevity" by Josh Woodward

Transcript

Emily: 0:01

Hello and welcome to Philly Dances where we talk with our friends who are totally inspiring us with their amazing work here in Philadelphia's awesome dance community. I'm Emily and today we're visiting with Blanca Huertas-Agnew, talking about her journey in founding the Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition. Blanca began her dance training in Puerto Rico, studying with her mother and years later during her career, she had the opportunity to perform an array of classical and contemporary repertoire all over the world with ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, Ballet Municipal de San Juan, and with Ballets de San Juan as principal soloist. As an educator, Blanca is currently part of the faculty of the School of Pennsylvania Ballet and she also has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Temple University and in 2019 she completed her MFA in choreography at Jacksonville University. Most recently, Blanca founded the Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition, which is dedicated to awarding scholarships to classical ballet students who, who are aspiring to become professional dancers. Blanca, I'm so excited to have you here on the show today. Between teaching and choreographing and directing the competition and also taking care of your three children who are also beautiful dancers, I know that you are a busy, busy woman, so I appreciate you taking the time to join us here today.

Blanca: 1:41

No, thank you Emily. I am so grateful and thrilled that you brought me to your program because this is such a project that is close to my heart. It's really something that dance has always been part of my life, but this project is definitely is taking, I think my career and my ability and the things that I've done through my 24 plus years of career to a different point in my life where I now I can see how I can help so many other young dancers the same way that many other people helped me through my years.

Emily: 2:21

So it seems like like ballet and Puerto Rico have been a really big part of your life really from, from the beginning. Tell us a little bit about how you got started with ballet.

Blanca: 2:32

Yes. Well as you mentioned, I began my dance career with my mother. And so my mother and my father were both ballet dancers. My father continued more into the professional career at the beginning and my mother really continued the educational aspect of dancing. So all the way through my young years, I just remember just being part of a stage or a studio and then when I was about 13 or so, it was that time where there's, you know, my mother was, I think it's maybe time for you to explore with some someone else. There was a teacher back in Puerto Rico many years, Lottie teacher that began a lot of the people that were having, uh, companies at the time. She was like there, you know, the person that guided them through the process. And so my mother took me to her and um, I auditioned for Ballet Concierto and they took me on what was consider back then, an apprentice, so we call it[inaudible]. And from there I spent some years in, in Ballet Concierto and I moved to core ballet. And then after that, um, I travel a little bit and I continued to do some dancing with with my dad's company Ballet Municipal de San Juan. And then finally I, ended up audition Ballets de San Juan that was directed by A nna Garcia at the time. That was also my father's former director. And from c ore ballet I moved to soloist and then to principal soloist. So through my entire youth, that's all I did as a young adult. That's all I did. And I c an c ontinue to s tay i n my life for now, for my young kids that are also t hird g eneration dancers.

Emily: 4:36

So how is it different for dancers now in Puerto Rico compared to when you were a dancer, a young dancer there?

Blanca: 4:46

Well, I mean, through the years they have been changes financially through the arts, not only in Puerto Rico but everywhere. So Puerto Rico has not been spared for that change. Funding always have been a little bit spare. But after the hurricane, it really took a toll because many of the studios were damaged. So the Marley floors, this sprung floors, everything that we need in order to have a healthy dance education, protecting our bodies, you know, the knees, the backs, well all that was gone. Another big effect that happened was many families left the Island. So many studios were having to close because there were no students. So the training that many of the students were having, was no longer there because of they were no facilities, so they were not no students to get trained. So it was really, it's really sad to know that some studios have been running for so many years. Were closed.

Emily: 6:00

It sounds like it's, it's hard, a lot harder now. Even really just recently in the last couple of years since the hurricane, for students to be able to find opportunities.

Blanca: 6:10

Yes, it has. Because I'm, again, if you don't get trained when you go to an audition, then you're going to be in a disadvantage because you can, you can be a very talented student. But without that daily practice, that talent when is not going to be at the same standard. Well, some of the other students that we have continued to train, they have not had faced this situation that the dancers in the island have had to endure.

Emily: 6:40

So how, how have you seen personally some, some young dancers who have actually found opportunities to, continue their dance education?

Blanca: 6:50

Oh no. The students when we went, because of the hurricane Maria and in the process of actually registering my children for different auditions, it really got my attention, the amount of um, resources are needed for a student to audition to multiple places. So I, at that time I approached my director at the school of PA Ballet and I ended up convincing the school to go and audition students in the Island and to see so many students show up to that audition, we end up having 85 students show up to an audition. And I was just, so amazed with the passion that the students have, her work ethic, how dedicated they w ere so many of them. Even trying to, as soon as they knew about the addition, trying to do extra work for them, the parents doing some sacrifices to pay, you know, private lessons to try to get, you know, what we call in shape a lready to go to that audition. It was something that really warmed my heart just to see what the families were doing. And then when those students came to the school of PA Ballet that we ha ve t he opportunity to teach them. Al l t he teachers, everyone just had wonderful things to say about, again, how disciplined, the work ethic. I think they really appreciated a little bit different, some of the opportunities that were given to them because of the experience that they had. So th ey, they definitely appreciated the fact that, u m, t hey were really having a great opportunity and that this is wh at's g oing to be li fe's c hanging. Um, I can tell you a story if you don't mind, of Isabel, is o ne of our students in Um, s he was interview as well. An d t he first thing that she mentioned was how she could not believe that we wanted, such a big company, wanted to go to the Island to see them in their environment and were interested in providing something for her. Like she's like, I didn't know that they wanted to see my talent. So, and then after that, when she received her ac ceptance l etters, she's like my tears. I couldn't believe it. She just felt so, so grateful that we have ta ken t he time to go to them instead of them coming to us.

Emily: 9:38

Do you think any of these students would have been able to travel to an audition? Because most, most of the times, bigger schools and companies are going to hold auditions, you know, and in a major city in America, for example, do you think the students in Puerto Rico would have been able to travel to an audition if it hadn't, if you hadn't had the audition there on the Island?

Blanca: 10:02

No. The majority of the students and the families, especially after hurricane Maria could not, uh, afford that. And I'm making a generalization, but it is I think pretty accurate, especially after you go to the Island and see, um, how many businesses are still closed, how many empty homes of people that left would haven't return. So to have a family, pay, not only a plane ticket for the student that is going to audition but usually has to happen and a family member goes with them. Then after that you have to pay where are you going to stay for the amount of days that the audition is g oing t o take place. And of course you're g oing t o try to book several auditions at the same time to take advantage. So t hat's several fees. Then you have to add, you know, the rooming, the food d uring those days. U m, it really goes into the high numbers for any family. So imagine a family that just happened and is still recovering from a situation like Maria, the hurricane. U m, so most of t he students that attended will not have been able to experience an audition and be seen by us. We saw 85 and we accepted 15. So l et's say that only those 15 w ere going to audition. That would not be the case. That would have not been the k ids. Just, it's, it is a very hard situation to have a family afford an audition that w e a re not sure if you're going to be accepted. I s i t the chances being accepted in an audition are slim. Imagine trying to have to do that with all those expenses.

Emily: 12:01

I think that a, a lot of parents, um, can actually understand that and relate to that. I mean, on a smaller scale, we drive to nearby cities for opportunities for our kids and, and sometimes stay in hotels and we have expenses, but, but to, to have to fly, you know, a great distance, and stay longer somewhere that's further away from home. That's, that is definitely, that's, that's hard. That's a hardship. So, so how, how would the Puerto Rico classical dance competition help with this? How, how are you guys going to be, providing opportunities for dancers?

Blanca: 12:40

Yes. So if we had, like I mentioned, the main, the main goal from, for the competition is to create a platform for young people a center where they can be seen by many institutions at one point. This is central point where that student is just going to go and be seen by as many people as possible to have as many opportunities as we can offer them. And as a result, we want to create opportunities for those students and also at the same time educate not only the student, but the parents of all the possibilities that come from this dance training. You know, sometimes if families only see, um, a student being part of a ballet company and then that career will end. And so in this process, by bringing not only institutions that have ballet companies, professional ballet companies, but also bringing universities, we're going to expand the knowledge of that student and that parent to really see this dance education as an investment for their future. And there's so many other careers within the dance world that we can, um, take advantage of coming just from a studio. So yes, your training becomes, it starts in a small studio that usually transfers into a little bit of a bigger studio because now you're in a pre professional professional training, but that can also lead to a company or to a college education. In a college education, you can still continue and have that professional dance career. So going into a college environment does not equate to ending your professional career. On the contrary, you will be expanding your network and all the things that you're going to be doing with this dance career that we're hoping that Puerto Rico, um, Dance Competition, it's going to be just another stepping stone to allow this to continue to flourish.

Emily: 14:59

Yeah. You know, and then even beyond a dance career once, you know, once a dancer has finished their career, they're going to take so many skills that they've learned through, through being in the studio or through the university. They're gonna take those, those skills and use them for all kinds of wonderful things in the future and you know, bring them, possibly bring them back to Puerto Rico, to create new opportunities for a new generation of people.

Blanca: 15:29

Correct. I mean, there's so many other careers, you know, dance administrators and administrators in a museum just going into a regular administration office or leading companies. You know, we know one of the people that created Fancy Nancy, I think is the illustrator. She was a professional dancer. So I mean there are so many, there's fashion designers, there's so many other careers that have come from the discipline and all the lessons learned during someones dance experiences. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Absolutely. So who, who's the competition for what kind of students, would, would be appropriate for coming to the competition and what, like the, the areas beyond Puerto Rico, the islands that, that surround it, are they eligible to come to the competition as well? I am so glad you mentioned that, Emily. Because yes, the competition is based in Puerto Rico, but it's not closed just to the students in the Island. The competition is open for everyone. So anyone that wants to come to Puerto Rico, can participate. Um, we want definitely to help the Island in their economy by bringing more people, not only from surrounding towns of San Juan but surrounding islands and also from the States or anywhere in the world that wants to come to Puerto Rico. So that the competition is open for students, 9 to 19 years old. It is not open to professionals, and professionals are somebody that is already receiving payment for their work. So that is considered somebody that's a professional already has a contract where he's already doing jobs or you know, performances with the professional company. So it's definitely open for that student that's still i n the development stages.

Emily: 17:42

And then for the students who come to the competition, how, how are they going to benefit from the scholarships? I mean, are the scholarships going to be specifically for particular summer intensives or for particular universities? Or are there also additional, additional, opportunities for them?

Blanca: 18:03

Well, there's so many opportunities and I think this is when I'm so glad that you're getting the word out about this project because there's so many ways to, to help a student through their career. So yes, we do have the institutions are going to be providing specific scholarships for the summer intensive and maybe year round. But we also have, um, for the older students, we have universities are providing eh, full scholarship for a year or entry level auditions to enter their programs. So those are like the main, what we call the main scholarship programs. And then we have created different, um, awards that will help a student in development. So let's say for example, that we have a student that it's great potential. Well, we can see as instructors that were adjudicating for this competition that he might, he or she might be hyper mobile. So we know that it's the need of a strengthening classes for the student. So maybe we create an award that is for that student to get pilates classes or conditioning classes. Ah, they might be another way for a student that let's say we know that the pointe shoe find will be something for them. Uh, there's also a phone for tights. They could be funds for so many areas. Private coaching, let's say we have a student that we see have some difficulties with, you know, with the upper torso, and it needs just finishing touches for that artistry level that we know will bring them to the next level. Then we can bring that award directly to a specific coach that will then work with that student. So we will find ways as we're seeing the students for the three days. Because in addition of them having the opportunity to do the two minute variation or the five minute variation for the ensembles, we understand like in any testing, we sometimes are not our best in some of these, you know, um, situations that we're, we're put in. And even the, this is part of what entails to be a performer. These are still students. So we're going to give them the opportunity during the workshops and the masterclasses to continue to be observed by the professionals and then assess if there's any other way that we can help this student get to the next level and this additional awards will be created and given to the students that we think, um, will need that additional assistance.

Emily: 20:56

I love that. I love that, that there's the flexibility there to, to sort of customize the awards a little bit, you know, to really give kids what they need right then and there to meet them where they are.

Blanca: 21:13

I know there's so many areas that when we're looking at a young student that can benefit besides just of course going to a summer intensive or getting a big scholarship to a university. What in that process to keep that body healthy and make them last and teach them to understand their body it's what they're going to use, their tool, you know, it's what they're going to need in order to continue this growth and how to learn them, how to protect it, how to make it strong. It could be a nutrition, it could be, you know if we see somebody that maybe, you know, sometimes confidence is not there, maybe we have a sports psychologist that we can get involved in the program, you know, so there's so many ways that we can help a young student because this is, it's really hard to become a professional dancer. So any little tool that we can provide an assist, I think is going to be something that will change someone's life.

Emily: 22:17

Yeah. And what schools and universities are currently participating?

Blanca: 22:23

Oh my goodness. I am so happy that all this institutions, and I call them colleagues, but they really friends that I have met. So at different points of my career, you know, some of them, I dance with them as a young dancer. Some of them I met as educators, some of them I met again when I became a student again through my MFA program and all this different wonderful teachers, educators and dancers have come to say, yes, I'm going to help you with this. This is a great idea. So let's start with the school of Pennsylvania Ballet. That immediately did it, did, um, the participation last February when we went to Puerto Rico and we were able to provide scholarships for the summer intensive once again coming this year and helping us with this New York Dance Project. New York Dance Project is run by a wonderful friend, Nicole Duffy, also a dancer from Puerto Rico who now is doing great things in New York City. We also have Ballet Hispanico that has always, through their initial years because Tina Ramirez, initiate this to help the Hispanics in New York City and in different areas and created Ballet Hispanico and now Michelle Manzanalesthat is the director of the school has come and help us, uh, providing again more opportunities. I have University of Utah School of Dance. So I have Chris Alloways-Ramsey that he has been a great colleague and friend in my MFA and he is wonderful, helping out in contacting different people to participate in this. Um, I have Peabody Conservatory of the John Hopkins University and Dana Bella, I met through a friend, colleague of ours and, uh, Michael Nickerson Rossi is doing great things, not only in Philly, but in Palm Springs, also helping young students and introduced me to Dana Bella that she's the head of the department at the Peabody Conservatory. And um, she immediately say, I am coming with you. I'm definitely going to do this. And I have additional, um, schools are participating that I have confirmation. So the Florida Ballet is going to be here, we're going to be, have Nashville Ballet is going to be here. We have an international, um, school that is gonna provide one week and one other school that might be coming, but that is not confirmed. So once I confirm all those, collaborators will be posted, you know, website. But these are wonderful, wonderful colleagues that are coming out and saying, this is going to be a great event to help the students. And some of them are donating their time, but we still have to get them to Puerto Rico. So, even though they're being so gracious at not only providing, you know, the scholarships, but they're also, you know, doing the time that they're going to be working as a judge. Some of them are donating their time, but we still need to get them to the Island to as one of their requirements because they need to observe the students, you know, life. It has to be a live event.

Emily: 26:05

You know, I, I love that not only does this help Puerto Rico and the students there, but when, when these dancers come to the various schools and universities for the programs, they are bringing something special and unique to all of these other communities. So the students who came to Pennsylvania Ballet for the intensive over the summer, they brought, they brought their own experience to this, to the other students who were there and to the teachers who were there. So this, this also lifts up all of the communities who are participating too.

Blanca: 26:39

I agreed 100% with that. I saw how the kids were able to communicate and just share their experiences with the kids at the dorms this past summer and how they learn new things. So they got used to what they used to, say, this is something new for me. This is an experience. This is the way they do it here. But they like some of the things that they saw that they, how they did it here. And then the other students that were also coming to the program. So, you know, look at the work ethic of the students, look at, you know, they recognize that some of the students have gone through a lot of effort to just to arrive to a summer intensive that maybe they just h ad to drive. So I think when they were going back home and explaining to their families, Oh, I met someone from Puerto Rico and they share, it just makes us, you know, we are in a multicultural environment and it's not only in our daily basis, but in the dance world, in our offices, everywhere. So y ou just, i t just makes the world go, and l earn a little bit more about each other. It h elped u s being kind and accepting everyone, you know? So i t, i t's definitely a learning experience all around.

Emily: 27:59

Yeah, it's, it's really beautiful and it's Blanca, how can we, how can we all get involved? How can we all help, in whatever way that we can. What are some ways in which we can help?

Blanca: 28:10

Well, the main thing that I say for anyone is to go to our website and if you're able, anything that you can donate, it will help us. Because like I said, all these institutions are providing, um, scholarship and their time, what the Foundation still needs to get them to Puerto Rico. So any donations that will be given, it's going to go towards helping all of this, judges and professionals get to the Island. It also will help pay for the venue that we're going to be using during this time. And it also is going to allow to start beginning the list of the different funds that we want to use. Like I mentioned the special awards and we want to give the students education like is it for funding is it for conditioning is it for pointe work you said for a specific, um, helping, uh, tuition assistance. So it's in any of these events that we can start getting a little bit of assistance fund wise. It will really help us. Another way is I were thinking of having a silent auction coming up. So if there's a special item that you think that you would like to donate to the foundation for us to put in this silent auction, that's also another way. If you think that you have time, that you are very good in any specific area, you are very good at fundraising, you're very good at, you know, networking, you're very good at just connecting with people, give us a call, we need all the help that you can give us. And we are very, very, very appreciative of anything that can be done to help us. But immediately, uh, I would, I would say we're a 501c3 nonprofit organization. So this is a way that you can collaborate with us. It's just given any amounts, any amounts that you can. Also think that maybe your corporation does match funding, match a contribution that you do for any company. So maybe go to your company office, you know, I think maybe theHR department may have some information about that and ask them if they will match any funds that you donate for a nonprofit organization. And we will be glad to give you all that information. If you go to our website, www.prcdc.art, immediately, you have different ways to collaborate with this. You can become a sponsor. We have Gainer Mindon is going to also give us small scholarship and some funding. So any type of product that you think that might be relevant to dance education, please feel free to reach out to us.

Emily: 31:26

Well, thank you for giving us the opportunity to help and be a part of it. Thank you so much for creating the program for all of the students who might otherwise not really have an opportunity to continue their dance education beyond their hometowns where they are now. And thank you for sharing your story with us.

Blanca: 31:49

Thank you. I am really thankful for the opportunity of sharing this in such a such a venue. This is, this type of environment is new to all of us I think from our generation. But it's wonderful because I think you reach a lot of people and I also wanted to say that I'm just really paying it forward because through my years, I had somebody that either helped my mother or help me move to the next step. You know, I was also from the Island and like I mentioned at the beginning the Island always have faced different challenges financially to support the arts and I was able to come from a very small Island,, and I always say it is just 35 by 110 and become a professional dancer and be able to teach and dance in the United States, in Europe, in South America when I was very young. I don't think my imagination could even put a materialized image of what that would look like now that I am this age and looking back, it has been a wonderful experience and career that I had. So I'm hoping that with this foundation and even before I had the foundation, if anything I can do to help someone just stay, you know, in the career or guide them to their next step, I just really see it as paying it forward, giving it, because I always had somebody that was through that journey helping me out as well.

Emily: 33:30

Well, there's, there's no doubt that, that a lot of people will, will benefit and then they'll be able to pay it forward themselves, you know, when they find, find themselves in, in their future, whatever that holds. I, I have no doubt at all that this is going to be a wonderful, wonderful experience for everyone, for the dancers and their families and also for the schools and universities and communities that are supporting it as well. I'm really looking forward to hearing more about it. Um, and hearing about how the competition goes in February. Thank you so much.

Blanca: 34:10

Thank you for the time. And I just want it really quick again, say their competition is open for anyone. So please come to Puerto Rico also and participate on the audition. It would only not also benefit of course, from having being seen by all o f these wonderful people, but it also h elp the hotel industry, the restaurant industry, transportation industry. So if you don't get a chance to go because of this competition, please come to the Island, come to the Island to help continue to help out in t heir economy.

Emily: 34:43

Yes. Yes. We all will. Thank you. Thank you so much, Blanca.

Blanca: 34:47

Thank you for having me, Emily.

Emily: 34:50

It's so amazing and beautiful how we can impact our own local communities as well as other communities in a really positive way by by bringing these schools and students together and supporting dance education. Please take a minute to visit the website to find out more about the Puerto Rico classical dance competition, www.prcdc.art. The competition will be taking place February 28th 29th and March 1st

Blanca: 35:24

I hope that you will all join me in helping out in paying it forward in whatever way that you can, so that together we can lift up our dance communities.