Treat yourself to 5 days of joyful movement as we explore Ballet, Martha Graham Technique,  Latin dance and restorative yoga. Classes will challenge and inspire you in a supportive environment that embraces freedom, fun and feel good laughter.  Get the opportunity to take class from world renowned dancers and teachers while immersing yourself in the vibrant energy of Mexico. When not in classes, enjoy a dip in the Pacific, lounge by the pool, get a massage or take a long siesta. This retreat is the perfect way to Re\connect to your passion and San Pancho,  Mexico is the paradise destination to inspire that Re\connection.

Jock Soto, Ballet

 Jock Soto, who is half Navajo Indian and half Puerto Rican, was born in Gallup, New Mexico, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. At the age of five, he began studying ballet with local teachers after seeing a television special featuring Edward Villella in the Rubies section of George Balanchine’s Jewels. Mr. Soto continued his studies at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet. While at the School, Mr. Soto danced the role of "Luke" in Peter Martins' The Magic Flute, which was choreographed for the School's 1981 Workshop performances. That year, Georges Balanchine invited him to become a member of the Company's corps de ballet. In June 1984 he was promoted to the rank of soloist, and one year later, he became a principal dancer. Mr. Soto's extensive repertory includes featured roles in many of George Balanchine's ballets. He has also danced featured roles in a number of ballets by Jerome Robbins,  as well as Peter Martins, Robert La Fosse, Christopher Wheeldon and many others. Mr. Soto has appeared as a guest artist with the Kirov Ballet in Jewels in 2003 and at the Bolshoi Theatre with stars from New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre in 2003. In addition to his guest appearances, Mr. Soto has staged numerous ballets around the World, including works by Balanchine, Robbins, Martin, and Wheeldon, and many more. Mr. Soto's television appearances with New York City Ballet include five Live from Lincoln Center broadcasts on PBS: "A Choreographer's Notebook: Stravinsky Piano Ballets by Peter Martins," "Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, "Swan Lake" choreographed by Mr. Martins; Ray Charles in Concert with the New York City Ballet, reprising his role in A Fool for You; New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography. Mr. Soto also appeared in Mr. Bonnefoux's Five, as part of the Guggenheim Museum's Works in Process series on PBS. He has appeared on seven episodes of Sesame Street, including three in which he appeared with former NYCB principal dancer Lourdes Lopez. Mr. Soto was a celebrity guest-chef on the TV Food Network's Talking Food, hosted by Robin Leach, and has appeared as a celebrity judge on Channel 13's Masterchef. He has also been featured on A&E's Breakfast with the Arts as Artist of the Week. In addition to his performing career, Mr. Soto served as a member of SAB's permanent faculty from 1996 to 2015. Mr. Soto serves as a visiting instructor at Banff Centre for the Arts for the Indigenous Dance Residency program. He has also been invited to teach at prestigious dance departments in colleges and universities around the country such as Washington University, Oklahoma State, and many others. Mr. Soto was the recipient of the Casita Maria Award for Hispanics and The First Americans in the Arts Trustee Award. Friends In Deed recognized Mr. Soto for his patronage of AIDS research, and in 2002, the School of American Ballet presented him with the Mae L. Wein Award for Distinguished Service. During the 2017 New Mexico State legislative session, Mr. Soto received the State’s Certificate of Appreciation from Senator John Pinto for his contribution to the arts.  Mr. Soto resides in Eagle Nest, NM with his husband Luis Fuentes and his pet beagle “Bandit”. Our Meals, a cookbook written by Mr. Soto and former NYCB principal dancer Heather Watts, was published by Riverhead Books in 1997. Water Flowing Together, a feature documentary on Mr. Soto was aired on PBS in 2006. Every Step You Take, Mr. Soto’s critically acclaimed memoir, was published by Harper Collins in 2011.  

Alessandra Prosperi, Martha Graham Technique

Alessandra lived most of her adult life in NYC although she was born and raised in Florence , Italy where she started to study dance at the early age of 4.

A few years into her professional ballet career, she was invited to New York City by Miss Martha Graham.  Alessandra was a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company for over 20 years performing many of Graham’s signature roles.

For the last 30 years, she has been teaching modern dance technique, repertory, master classes in colleges and dance institutions and given various lectures in the U.S. and around the world. Currently she lives in Kobe, Japan where she serves as a professor of dance.

Alessandra is also a certified Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She has more than 30 years of experience guiding people in athletic, therapeutic and creative movement. Her vast knowledge and experience of the human body is drawn from her professional dance career  as well as the Pilates method, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis, Structural Integration, Continuum and PBT (Progressing Ballet Technique).

Jennifer Isaacson, Yoga

In 1997, Jennifer began studying yoga in college.  For 22 years, Jennifer has used yoga to observe the mind, body and environment.  A daily discipline creates strength, patience and deep listening which comes through in her teaching.

Jennifer began teaching yoga because of encouragement from her teacher, Kim Zamoff.  In 2001, she was invited into Kim's home for training and began teaching in 2002.  Jennifer has taught over 10,000 classes in gyms, studios, homes, corporations, festivals, colleges and hosted dozens of retreats in the Pacific Northwest, Mexico, and Bali.

Jennifer’s earned teaching certificates from Kim Zamoff of Warrior One Yoga (2001-2002), Kathleen Hunt of Samadhi Yoga (2005-2006), Shiva Rea of Prana Flow (2004-2009), Anatomy for Yoga Teachers with Richelle Ricard, (2010-2012), Nicole Koleshis of Next Generation Yoga for Children (2012), Yin Yoga with Bernie Clark (2015), Barre Above with Tricia Murphy-Madden (2015), and Schwinn’s Indoor Cycling (2017).

Join Jennifer in Seattle WA, Mexico, or Bali and honor yoga as a way of life.

https://www.jenniferisaacson.com/
 

All levels welcome but some ballet experience needed.  If it has been a while, get yourself moving again so you can take full advantage of your experience.

Your $500 deposit is non-refundable. The remainder of your payment will be refunded for cancellations through December 1, 2019.   The remainder of your payment will be refunded after December 1, 2019 if a new participant registers.  If this retreat is cancelled for any reason, your entire payment will be refunded in full.  An affordable insurance package is required through world nomads. 

 Circo de los Niños

The former agro-industrial warehouses now called Las Fabricas (Bodegas) were built by former Mexican president Luis Echeverria who envisioned a thriving social-economic plan for the town with these old factories that produced coconut oil, dried fruit, soaps and dairy products. In the 70´s, some warehouses were abandoned due to political changes in the country.  In the next decades, these buildings were occupied while some stayed empty. In the summer of 2014, the Circo de los Niños de San Pancho received permission from the State of Nayarit to install its first training space for up to 80 students.

Since then, Circo de los Niños de San Pancho occupies over 1200 square meters of warehouse space where more than 150 students learn the Circus Arts, Dance and Performance Arts. Our space is equipped with donation of previously used acrobatic, gymnastic, and aerial equipment from the Cirque du Soleil Foundation.  In 2015, the new dance area as well as a black-box stage were built offering  opportunities for more classes and a new performance space for the community. Our rental of the dance space goes directly to the betterment of this program and the children.

If you are just interested in the dance portion of the retreat,  I am offering a special price which includes the 10 dance classes, welcome and farewell dinner. No yoga or accomodations. Please inquire.