Ballet sin barreras

Ballet without barriers “The prototype of a classical ballet dancer usually does not fit the characteristic physique of Peruvians: neck, trunk, arms commonly short, short stature… that should not be a stigma or a barrier.» This is how Maria del Carmen Silva, a retired professional dancer, explains why she decided to create a ballet school for those girls whose families could not afford a ballet class. She wants to break with ballet stereotypes and make it inclusive regardless the money or the body building. «The perfect body or the best costumes, for me are not important, in my class those who have discipline stand out,» Silva explains. She wanted to avoid choosing as per their abilities, as selecting would mean leaving some of them behind. So she decided to not to audition, everybody was welcome to her classes. The effect of this move was moving for her. She received letters of gratitude. «When I do a grand jeté, I feel free. Maricarmen’s academy is not like others, here many boys and girls enter, even if they don’t have enough to pay, like my sister and me, it doesn’t matter if they have any physical condition or if they are small, we are all accepted. When I grow up I want to open spaces like this one to give opportunities to girls like us». Keith Chávez Ruiz, 12 years old.

The San Genaro neighborhood, where most of the girls who receive scholarships from the Maricarmen Ballet live, is located in Chorrillos, a district in southern Lima. It is a hill of colorful houses, made mainly of wood, cardboard and zinc roofs, where basic services such as water and transportation are often unstable. A sector that often appears in the news associated with crime and violence.

Currently, 13 girls who live in low-income areas of Lima receive free classes at Mari Carmen school.

Ballet, as dancer Maricarmen explains, is an elitist discipline with marked traces of racism and gender stereotypes. For this reason, she assures that her goal is to show her students that with effort and organization they can break down barriers to achieve whatever they want in life.

Keith and Nicole Chavez attend ballet classes three times a week and even five days a week when they rehearse for a performance. She and her sister start rehearsing at 6 pm and finish after 9 pm. It takes them 1 to 2 hours to return home and the next day they get up at 5 a.m. to go to school.

Ballet pointe shoes to break social barriers and stereotypes in Peru

The San Genaro neighborhood, where most of the Maricarmen Ballet scholarship girls live, is located in Chorrillos, a district in southern Lima.

«El prototipo de bailarín de ballet clásico no suele ajustarse al físico característico de los peruanos: cuello, tronco, brazos comúnmente cortos, baja estatura…eso no debe ser un estigma ni una barrera».

Así explica María del Carmen Silva, bailarina profesional retirada, por qué decidió crear una escuela de ballet para aquellas niñas cuyas familias no podían permitirse una clase de ballet. Ella quiere romper con los estereotipos del ballet y hacerlo inclusivo sin importar el dinero o el físico.

«El cuerpo perfecto o los mejores trajes, para mí no son importantes, en mi clase destacan los que tienen disciplina», explica Silva.

Quería evitar elegir en función de sus capacidades, ya que seleccionar significaría dejar atrás a algunos de ellos. Así que decidió no hacer audiciones, todo el mundo era bienvenido a sus clases. El efecto de esta medida fue conmovedor para ella. Recibió cartas de agradecimiento.