Yvonne Montoya
Choreographer. Writer. Speaker. Mother.

Dance in the Desert Research Report: The New Mexico Interviews ☀️ We interviewed 41 Latine dance artists from 8 different communities throughout New Mexico to understand what makes this dance landscape so unique. The Dance in the Desert NM interviewees spans genres from Mexican Folklórico to Hip-hop, Breaking to Danza Azteca, Modern to Pom, Heels to Flamenco, from Aerial to New Mexico Folk Dance and more with many dancers trained in multiple genres of dance. New Mexico commun

Dance in the Desert Research Report: Spotlighting the Arizona cohort 🌵 We asked the Dance in the Desert AZ cohort if they had any strategic recommendations for funders, foundations, policy makers, and arts agencies to better support working dance artists in Arizona. Here is their response: • Invest in Sustainable Careers: Prioritize flexible, multi-year funding to provide artists with consistent salaries and long-term stability. • Fund Physical Infrastructure: Support capita

Dance in the Desert Research Report: Spotlighting the Arizona cohort 🌵 We asked the Dance in the Desert AZ cohort: What are the strengths of the AZ dance community in 2025? Here is what they have to say: 🌵 The AZ dance ecosystem is welcoming, collaborative, and culturally expansive. 🌵 •T he AZ cohort identified these community strengths and resiliencies: • Interdisciplinary collaboration •“Small‑town vibes in a big city” • A culture of mutual support that persists despite

Dance in the Desert Research Report: The Arizona Cohort 🌵 What does it take to sustain a thriving dance community in the Arizona deserts? We interviewed 17 of the 21 Latine dance artists from the original Dance in the Desert AZ. Here is an overview of the original Dance in the Desert AZ community: • 3 communities represented: Tucson, Douglas/Agua Prieta, and the Phoenix-metro area • The original Dance in the Desert AZ cohort spans genres from Mexican Folklórico to Hip-hop, B

The Dance in the Desert 2025 Research Report is here! 🌵 Over the next two months, we'll be sharing data and highlights every Wednesday. For a more in depth analysis of the research, subscribe to our newsletter. LINK IN BIO In 2025, our team conducted 58 interviews with dance artists aged 18–75 across New Mexico, Arizona, and the US/Mexico Borderlands. The central question we set out to answer: what does it take for dance artists and communities in the Southwest not simply to

Revisiting Silent Stories, our 2012 production of dances inspired by women's stories from Tucson, AZ. Over a decade later, we're still sharing embodied stories that remind us how deeply personal experiences shape who we are. Some stories never stop resonating.

In deep reflection on the first half of the year. ✨ Thinking back to this past January and February and the incredible dance students I worked with while I was a Visiting Artist in the Department of Theatre & Dance at Colorado College where I taught a dance production course. We did so much over the course of three and a half weeks including at collaborative and community-based artistic process complete with: Creating 9 new choreographies , including 4 solos by CC dance stud

Earlier this month, I had the privilege to Represent mi gente Nuevomexicana at AFTACON, I shared stories of indigenous and genízara ancestors on the "From Extraction to Reciprocity: Indigenous Arts in this Moment" panel. It was an honor to share my story and reflect on the nuances, complexity, and complicated histories of the region with the AFTACON community. This session highlighted sovereignty, cultural specificity, and accountability in Indigenous arts, challenging trans

Today we celebrate the Stories from Home CSUSM community cast for their moving work on "In the Heart of the Hills." This dance that was co-devised with Safos choreographers Yvonne Montoya and Ruby Morales was performed twice! First with the cast of Stories from Home and then again at the CSUSM Spring Dance concert in May. This marked the first time a community cast performed the work twice. Felicidades bailaries! We’re deeply grateful to every dancer who brought it to life. A

NAPAMA in Tucson!🎭 At the NAPAMA retreat on Monday, I joined brilliant Arizona-based arts leaders on the panel "Intersection of Performing Arts & Civic Engagement." I was proud to share Safos Dance Theatre's impactful work co-creating choreographies with community casts while touring Stories from Home. Thank you NAPAMA for the invitation to share these stories.