My MA Experience by Denisse Aguila

My approach to dance began with folkloric dances from Oaxaca, Mexico, and later continued during my BA in Contemporary Dance. Over the past years, I have directed my practice towards West African dance and various diasporic dances across Latin America.

My decision to study the MA at Irie! came from the fact that it is the only programme that studies the diaspora through dance. It is not common to find a postgraduate degree with this perspective, and even less one that offers such an independent model of study, allowing you to develop research in relation to your own practice, interests, and artistic context.

As a Mexican artist, the MA allows me to guide my research through my own embodied practice. For me, it is essential to give meaning to what I do, to create space for reflection, and to enter into dialogue with other research.

After the MA, I hope to continue developing my independent educational project, where I share classes focused on wellbeing and joy. I am interested in understanding and sharing these dances through a situated approach, while honoring context and the cultural lineages from which they emerge.