Yvonne Montoya
Choreographer. Writer. Speaker. Mother.

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.

Reflecting on the impactful "Pajarito Panel and Performance" at MOCA Tucson. Last month we experienced an unforgettable evening of art and storytelling. As part of the Living With Injury exhibition, we explored environmental justice through a powerful blend of arts, academics, and community knowledge. Highlights of the impactful night included: Thought-provoking panel discussions on our shared history. A moving performance from "Stories from Home" Thank you MOCA and Alisha Va

A huge thank you to the incredible community casts of Stories from Home! Over the past three years, Safos Dance Theatre has had the honor to collaborate and co-create dances with inclusive communities across: Arizona @bbdanceur Colorado @desertartlab New Mexico @wilflowerplayhouse California @csusm_artsandlectures Mexico @stage_dance_studioo Thank you to all the artists for dancing with us. We look forward to sharing more of these vital stories into the future.

In celebration of the 2026 USA/AUS Mother’s Day, Dance Mama featured an essay "Reflection" by Yvonne Montoya sharing her experiences of working as a mother in dance for the past 17 years. Dance Mama is a UK-based advocacy entity celebrating professional dance parents, highlighting the issues that they face and providing inspiration, information, and support. Founded by Lucy McCrudden, Dance Mama supports dancing parents with over 80 inspiring stories and vital resources for d

In April, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the First Fandango Nuevomexicano dance and music camp! I spent a deeply enriching weekend studying the vibrant Bailes de Salón de Nuevo México with Master Teacher Lucy Salazar. The most heartwarming highlight? My son Salvador joined me and learned to play the traditional songs on the guitar, a completely new instrument for him! Keep supporting Southwest traditional dance and music and stay tuned for more exciting updates fr

I was invited back to Rincon University High School for a master class with the high school dance students from the Primavera class. It was so nice to connect with Tucson's young dancers and they held the movement carefully in their bodies. Thank you RUHS dance and Ms. Yoder for the invitation back!

Join us for a free evening of conversation and performance exploring contested histories through art, academics, and community knowledge. Thursday, April 30 | 6:00–8:30 PM @mocatucson At Pajarito Panel and Performance: Arts, Academics, and Community Knowledge Addressing Contested Histories, hear a thought-provoking panel discussion, then experience a powerful live performance from Safos Dance Theatre. Event Schedule: 6:00 PM: Doors Open 6:30 PM: Panel Conversation 7:30 PM