El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea de El Salvador (TDC) was originally established in San Salvador in l994 by Director Miya Hisaka Silva and Associate Director Francisco Castillo. TDC is distinctive because it is the first professional company in the history of El Salvador, inclusive of contemporary, classical and indigenous works, and because its objectives go beyond performance. The Company originally united artistic leaders from all regions of El Salvador with a common vision for dance, as well as a driving commitment for the re-development of the country after a 12-year civil war. TDC uses dance as a means to: preserve a distinctive Central American history/culture; for self-expression; for the restoration of lost history; for healing and the development of human dignity; to maintain dialogue and exchange between two Central America societies - one in USA and one in Central America, and to help build a new vision and fundamental values upon which a changing US Hispanic society is being built. TDC is committed to a country, to its people and to its unique history with an insistence on artistic excellence. The Company’s repertory reflects through dance the human spirit, with the hopes to inspire in people the ability to dream!

 

  

TDC has three major missions: The professional dance company; the Youth Dance Leadership Program (YLP); and its School. The Company was established first in l994 and also began internationally touring that same year. In l997, TDC built its original school, El Centro para Liderazgo en las Arts (Center for Leadership in the Arts, CELARTE), El Salvador's first professional performing arts school committed to the development of artists with an interest in the arts and public service. This is also when the YLP became established, working with hundreds of youth and families, dancers, painters and youth gangs, as well as taking dance for a first time since the signing of the Peace Accords to over 38 rural pueblos outside San Salvador. Together, TDC/CELARTE brought international acclaim to El Salvador through the arts. TDC expanded to their second homebase, Washington, DC, in l998. TDC’s offices were C/O the Office of the Consulate of El Salvador; the YLP housed at the Centro Nia; and the Company is In-Residence at Joy of Motion Dance Center. TDC became a Non Profit 501C3 Institution in WDC in 2000.

 

TDC’s YLP geared towards gifted and talented Salvadoran, Hispanic, African-American and Caribbean youth (ages 6-16) is in partnership with institutions in Mt. Pleasant area. This year-round program provides youth the opportunity to train, perform, and gain leadership skills. It provides dance technique, leadership classes, public service hours providing direct services to its underserved communities as well as performance experience. Each season, the YLP culminates in their year end presentation, “Entre Dos Mundos”, involving hundreds of youth and families reflecting their cultural heritage and current sentiments of the community. The YLP overarching purpose is: to nurture and develop the next generation of Hispanic leaders through focusing on the most gifted and talented youth; to develop a pride, confidence, a new vitality, a sense of healing; to help the community develop a sense of enpowerment; to help the community better focus on issues of acculturation; to help increase employment, reduce poverty, pregnancy and teenage violence; and to help to develop greater understanding and tolerance between the different cultural communities in the District of Columbia

 

To date, TDC’s accomplishments include:

-Presented by The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institution, Dance Place, Central American Olympics, University of UNAM/Mexico City, Tribeca Center in NYC, Santa Clara, Georgetown Universities, The University of San Francisco, Cowell Theater, among other prestigious sites;

-Completed international tours to New York City, San Francisco and Central America receiving critical acclaim from the Washington Post, New York Times, Dance Magazine, La Prensa Graficia, among others; -1999 Recipient and winner of a worldwide competition involving 14 competing countries for what has now become world model youth leadership programs funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, and Humanistic Institute for the Cooperation of Developing Countries (HIVOS). Provided a first of it’s kind program involving dancers and muralists and inner city youth gangs (mara gangs “13” and “MS”) in an effort to curb inner city violence;

-Recipient of the 2003 Award for “Outstanding Service to the Salvadoran Community” from President Calderon Sol of El Salvador and the Latin American Cultural Space of Washington, DC;
-Established one of the most extensive outreach presentation series in Washington, DC including 45 public schools, churches, park, and Hispanic institutions per city, entitled “Llevando la Danza al Pueblo” (“Bringing Dance to the People”);-Established Washington, DC and El Salvador’s most extensive youth leadership programs with over 100 youth participants/year and 30 graduates/year;

-2002 Commission by the Central American and Caribbean Olympic Games for the Opening Ceremony in El Salvador involving 4,500 athletes, 1,500 performing artists and over 25,000 spectators;

-2003 Commission by the Smithsonian Institution’s Latino Initiatives and Education Program, “Stabat Mater” (a dance and video documentary with 12 photographers from the Human Rights Commission).

-2003 – present – Awarded funding by the Meyer Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, The San Francisco Foundation, among others to continue to support TDC various programs.

 

 

TDC has been funded by: The Inter-American Bank, Humanistic Institute for Cooperative Developing Countries (HIVOS), The National Endowment for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, The Kennedy Center, National Arts and Humanities, Embassy and Offices of the Consulate of El Salvador, Ministry of Education of El Salvador/ConCultura, Mayor's Office of El Salvador and WDC, Grupo Taca, Identity, The Agnes & Eugene Meyer Foundation, The Marin Arts Council Fund for Artists, Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Fort Mason Foundation, and many private patrons.

 

TDC has come a long way: With its roots from El Salvador, expanding to Washington, DC in l994, beginning with one performance at Dance Place, and today presenting over 55 performances/season, reaching a diverse audience of 75,000/year. Today, TDC is reknown for their powerful, passionate and elegant repertory reflecting a distinctive Central American aesthetic with an expressive and exuberant style. “Infused by the passion of living, the Company gives soulful meaning to the term expression dance.” (Washington Post) “With compelling simplicity, freshness, directness in dancing, powerfully in the moment...physically sumptuous...” (New York Times). Today, TDC was in residence in Washington, DC at Joy of Motion Dance Center.

 

Board of Directors: Mario Cader Frech, Dick Clark, Russ Galer, Jeren Hope, Miya Hisaka Silva, Baltazar Lopez, Beth Perry, Claudia Rodriguez, Dr. Claudia Rousseau, Elise Shore.

 

Funders: The Inter-American Bank, Humanistic Institute for Cooperatve Developing Countries, The National Endowment for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, The Kennedy Center, DC Arts and Humanities, Embassy and Offices of El Salvador, Ministry of Education of El Salvador/ConCultura, Mayor's Office of El Salvador and WDC, Grupo Taca, Identity, The Eugene &' Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, The Marin Arts Council Fund of Artists, Paul Everloff Family Fund of the San Francisco Foundation, Grants for the Arts/San Francisco hotel Tax Fund, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Fort Mason Foundation, and many patrons in the US and El Salvador.

 

If You Would Like to Become a TDC Sponsor: TDC is a non-profit 501C3 institution in the District of Columbia. If you would like to make your tax deductible donation to the Company, please make checks made payable to: El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea de El Salvador, and mail to: Miya Hisaka, 3971 Langley Court NW (A595), Washington, DC 20016.