World-renown Colombian choreographer, author, and human rights advocate Álvaro Restrepo recently completed an extraordinary one-week residency at the University of Texas at Austin.  Restrepo, whose work has been seen in more than 30 countries, co-founded El Colegio del Cuerpo (“The College of the Body”), which New York Times writer Juan Forero described as “a contemporary-dance academy whose cutting-edge choreography and eclectic performances have shaken the tradition-bound city [of Cartagena, Colombia]”.

The residency was made possible by the generous support of the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) as part of their Visiting Resource Professor Program (VRP), which funded the project in its entirety.  The program has three major goals:  

• Enhance the international community of scholars working on Latin American topics
• Establish and strengthen contacts between Latin American institutions of higher learning and the University of Texas  
• Allow visiting scholars’ access to UT Library collections and archives  

The residency was co-hosted by the Performing Arts Center’s ArtesAméricas program and the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the School of Law.  During his six-day residency in Austin, Mr. Restrepo visited and acted as guest-lecturer for four undergraduate classes in four different Colleges/Academic Units:

• Journalism:  “Documentary Traditions in Latin America” (LAS 381, J295)  
• Law:  “Human Rights Advocacy” (LAS 381, LAW 379M)
• Anthropology/African & African American Studies: “Image, Race, and Latin America” (LAS 324L, ANT 324L, AFR 374E)
• Dance:  “Contemporary Dance Technique” (TD 312C)

Among the highlights of this very active and exciting week were:
• Lecture entitled "Individual Body/Collective Body" that was given as part of the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice Happy Hour Speaker Series
o Approximately 25 attendees at the lecture, with 15 staying for a reception afterwards
o A free dance master-class open to the community hosted by the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center 18 dancers and 10 observers attended
• Dinner with undergraduate and graduate students from the Department of Anthropology and African & African American Studies
• Visit to Del Valle Junior High School, where Mr. Restrepo observed and taught in two sections of a “Dance I” class
• Dinner with renown Colombian academic, lawyer, and political opposition party leader, Dr. Carlos Gaviria; the dinner was co-sponsored with the Institute of Latin American Studies Student Association (ILASSA)
• Roundtable lunch with 10 PAC Staff members
• Guided tour of PAC theaters and production facilities by PAC production team
• Guided tour of Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection by Head Librarian Margo Gutiérrez
• Visit to Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center

Beyond these events and formal meetings, Mr. Restrepo was able to interact with various UT faculty, students, and staff from departments ranging from English to Law to Anthropology in a variety of settings both on and off-campus.  

Portions of the residency were documented, including a video recording of Mr. Restrepo’s “Individual Body/Collective Body” lecture as well as photojournalism pieces shot by two students from Professor De Cesare's class of the community master-class at the Carver Museum and Cultural Center as well as the master-class conducted for 45 Dance Department students and faculty in Anna Hiss Gym.   Additionally, the residency was covered by the Daily Texan and local Spanish language TV outlet Azteca America (KADF TV 20).

The overwhelmingly positive feedback has led to discussions of how to create and sustain an on-going relationship between elements of the University and Mr. Restrepo, his school, and his dance company.   Possible dimensions of such a relationship include study abroad opportunities for UT students, presentation of El Colegio de Cuerpo Dance Company at the PAC, and the commissioning of work to be choreographed by Mr. Restrepo and performed on campus by UT students.  The following page includes some samples of the comments from those who had an opportunity to meet and work with Mr. Restrepo.  

In March, ArtesAméricas Director Joe Randel traveled to Cartagena, Colombia to visit El Colegio del Cuerpo.  During the visit, Randel toured the school and studio facilities, observed classes and rehearsals, and met with dancers in the company, as well as aspiring dancers studying at the school.   In meetings with Mr. Restrepo and his co-director Marie-France Delieuvin, Randel discussed the possibility of bringing to company to Austin in the future to perform and work in residency with students and faculty from the Department of Theater and Dance.  As a result of these discussions, Professor Lyn Wiltshire, Head of the Dance Department, and Kara Liotta, a senior Dance Major, will travel to Cartagena in mid-May to teach and observe classes, adding a new chapter to this promising partnership and paving the way for future exchanges among faculty and students.  

Photo caption/credit:
Left:   Masterclass at George Washington Carver Cultural Center taught by Alvaro Restrepo.
          Photo by Audry Dodgen
Right: Alvero Restrepo holds a master class with members of the University of Texas at Austin Dance Department.
          Photo by Mark Mulligan