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| Escuela de Danza de la Universidad de Chile | |
|---|---|
| Name | Escuela de Danza de la Universidad de Chile |
| Established | 1941 |
| Type | Pública |
| Parent | University of Chile |
| City | Santiago |
| Country | Chile |
Escuela de Danza de la Universidad de Chile is a public dance school within the University of Chile that forms professional dancers, choreographers and researchers in Santiago, Chile. Founded amid broader cultural reforms linked to the Universidad de Chile Conservatorio Nacional and the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, the school has influenced national institutions such as the Ballet Nacional Chileno and collaborated with international entities like the Compañía Nacional de Danza de España and the Royal Ballet. Its alumni and faculty have intersected with figures from the cinema of Chile and the theatre of Chile, contributing to festivals including the Festival Internacional de Teatro Santiago a Mil and the Bienal de Artes Mediales.
The school's origins trace to initiatives promoted by the Universidad de Chile and cultural policies during the presidency of Pedro Aguirre Cerda, alongside reforms in the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (Universidad de Chile), the Teatro Municipal de Santiago's ballet seasons, and exchanges with companies such as the Ballets Russes. Early directors drew from pedagogical lineages associated with Carmen Barros, María Rivarola, and influences from Vaslav Nijinsky-era repertory as mediated through Latin American tours by troupes like Anna Pavlova's company. During the mid-20th century the school expanded amid contacts with Alicia Alonso, Martha Graham's company members, and cultural missions linked to the Ministerio de Educación de Chile and the Comisión Nacional de Cultura y Bellas Artes. Political shifts during the Chilean coup d'état, 1973 affected staffing and curricula, while restorations in the 1990s reconnected the school with institutions such as the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral.
Academic offerings include undergraduate and postgraduate degrees articulated with the Facultad de Artes (Universidad de Chile), professional diplomas recognized by the Ministerio de Educación (Chile), and continuing education tied to the Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes. Curricula integrate technique and repertory drawn from Royal Academy of Dance methodologies, Vaganova method, Graham technique, and contemporary practices influenced by choreographers like Pina Bausch and William Forsythe. Collaborative majors connect with departments such as the Escuela de Teatro (Universidad de Chile), the Departamento de Antropología (Universidad de Chile), and programs at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Universidad de Concepción for exchange. Short courses and workshops have been taught in partnership with companies including Scottish Ballet, Compañía Nacional de Danza de México, and the New York City Ballet.
Research centers and laboratories at the school engage in practice-based inquiry, publishing projects in coordination with the Centro de Estudios Públicos and the Biblioteca Nacional de Chile. Investigations address movement analysis influenced by Rudolf Laban, choreographic archives akin to the Dance Notation Bureau, and interarts projects with the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos and the Escuela de Cine (Universidad de Chile). Creation labs have premiered works in venues associated with the Teatro UC, Teatro La Memoria, and festivals such as the Santiago a Mil and the Festival de Viña del Mar. Collaborative residencies have included partnerships with Jacobs Pillow, Sadler's Wells, and the Centre National de la Danse.
Directors and professors have included figures who connected the school to national and international circuits, with careers intersecting Alicia Alonso, Mauricio Jarre, José Miguel Catena, Valentina Reyes and collaborations with choreographers like Maurice Béjart, Alwin Nikolais, and Mats Ek. Guest teachers and visiting artists have come from institutions such as Juilliard School, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the École de Danse de l'Opéra de Paris. Alumni who achieved recognition appeared in productions at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, television series on Televisión Nacional de Chile, and film projects produced with the Centro Nacional del Cine y la Televisión (Chile).
Primary facilities are housed within the Casa Central de la Universidad de Chile campus and specialized studios near the Barrio Bellas Artes, with performance halls related to the Teatro Nacional Chileno and the Centro Cultural Matucana 100. The school maintains dance studios equipped for methods from the Vaganova method to contemporary floorwork, a movement analysis laboratory inspired by the Labanotation tradition, and archive rooms that coordinate with the Biblioteca Nacional de Chile and the Archivo Nacional de Chile. Outreach studios operate in municipal venues such as the Centro Cultural Estación Mapocho and partner centers in regions including Valparaíso and Concepción.
Seasonal programs stage full-length ballets, contemporary premieres, and mixed bills at theaters like the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Teatro NESUP, and the Sala de Arte de la Universidad de Chile. The school organizes festivals and ciclos in collaboration with the Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio and participates in touring circuits with companies like Ballet Nacional Chileno and international festivals such as the Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporánea de Bogotá. Educational outreach has been deployed through projects with the Municipalidad de Santiago, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (Santiago), and cultural centers in Antofagasta and La Serena.
The school engages in bilateral exchanges with the Instituto Cervantes, the Goethe-Institut, the British Council, and academic partnerships with the University of California, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle. Participation in networks like the International Theatre Institute and collaborations with the UNESCO cultural programs have supported touring, residencies, and co-productions with institutions such as the Teatro Colón, Palau de la Música Catalana, and Carnegie Hall. Alumni placement and faculty sabbaticals have strengthened links to companies including the New York City Ballet, Opéra National de Paris, and the Royal Danish Ballet, projecting the school's influence across Latin America, Europe, and North America.
Category:Universidad de Chile Category:Dance schools