Artist Statement
As a mover, I take the daily risk of spotlighting my Mexican American experiences through embodying los faldéos de mi mamá in my smoothly flaring arms.
I lay the vulnerability of my experiences out on stage by reclaiming every slap on the hand for speaking the wrong language, to those who said I am too American for México and too Mexicana for los estados unidos.
My torso’s restricting then releasing motions capture moments of my past being a brown-skinned, Mexican American, Spanglish-speaking woman living in the United States in hopes that others will relate to this story.
“My goal as a teacher is to educate my students to not only be proficient dancers, but to give them tools of the mind to tackle their life obstacles.”
— Ilse Mayté
Teaching Statement
“Discomfort is growth”
Making mistakes is essential. I encourage mistakes since they create lasting learning experiences, build self-confidence, and create empathy and respect toward others. Learning dance techniques is an important aspect of my classroom, but cultivating high self-esteem, healthy social skills, and good mental health are just as important.
“Dancers think on their feet.”
Students’ creativity is nourished and encouraged rather than diminished by restricting parameters. A lively imagination is encouraged and practiced through vivid language. As we learn how to snake our torso and carve with our limbs, students also create their choreography so they can begin to strengthen their thinking-on-their-feet muscles. Self-guided movement explorations are a major part of every class to nourish creative minds as well as quick thinking.
“Practice makes progress.”
We cultivate habits in the studio through the repetition of effective tools of the mind and healthy social skills. When a mishap happens or we defer from the cultivation of habits, we reflect and problem-solve our mistakes.
