Speaking
NALAC National Latinx Summit 2021
Dance in the Desert: Reflections on Gathering as Latinx Dancemakers.
This Community-Led Session was presented by Dance in the Desert founder Yvonne Montoya with co-organizer Erin Donohue and dancers Adriana "Bibi" Harris, Erin Donohue and Angelina Ramirez.
This bilingual panel highlighted Dance in the Desert as a case study for connecting Latinx dance artists across communities and geographic locations. Latina dance artists from three Arizona communities (Phoenix, Tucson, and Douglas) will discuss how Dance in the Desert centers local and regional Latinx dance aesthetics and models investment in our own communities.
Women in Dance Leadership Conference 2019
"Dance in the Desert: A Case Study" was a panel led by Dance in the Desert founder Yvonne Montoya with co-organizer Erin Donohue, dancer Adriana "Bibi" Harris, and dance writer J. Soto. The well attended panel took place October 2019 in Philadelphia, PA.
Dance/USA 2020 Virtual Conference
This conference session focused on key topics such as addressing climate change, business adaptation, and community togetherness.
Speakers included: Fahmida Ahmed Bangert, Kelly Tweeddale,
Maria Luisa Colmenarez, Yvonne Montoya, with moderator: John McCann
Congreso Internacional Ritmos transatlánticos en músia, canto y baile 2019
The panel Intertextualidades e invisibilizaciones: Una mirada historica hacía la raza y la simbiosis featured four dance scholars examining dance across Latin America. Yvonne Montoya presented "The Traditional and the Contemporary: Embodied Research on the Folk Dances of Northern New Mexico."
Hispanics in Philanthropy 2020 Conference
Beyond the Fellowship: Tools and Strategies for Uplifting Directly Impacted Leadership. This workshop and panel was presented at the Hispanics in Philanthropy 2020 virtual conference.
Speakers included: Yvonne Montoya, Founding Director of Safos Dance Theatre, Kandace Vallejo, Founder & Executive Director of Youth Rise Texas, Tara Hacker, Senior Program Manager at CommonHealth ACTION, and Reyna Montoya, Founder and CEO of Aliento.
Creative Placemaking Summit West 2019
"Ephemeral Art, Lasting Change" was a conversation on three unique and powerful examples of temporary art and creative placemaking. Yvonne Montoya presented on Dance in the Desert and how the project's grassroots approach to temporary art can overcome barriers and connect community to place. The panel took place February 2019 in Albuquerque, NM.
National Performance Network Conference 2018
The panel "Dance and Art in the Sonoran Desert" focused on the programs of AZ ArtWorker, including Dance in the Desert, founded by Yvonne Montoya. Speakers included: Yvonne Montoya, M. Jenea Sánchez, Gabriela Muñoz and Erin Donohue, all Arizona-based women artists. The panel took place in Pittsburgh, PA December 2018.
Movement Research Studies Project 2018
The panel "An Ethics of (Talking About) Watching" included conversations around questions regarding how dance artists create space for feedback in which artists/performers and their work is addressed properly, respectfully, and/or ethically.
The panel was organized by Kristopher Pourzal. Fellow panelists included Jaime Shearn Coan, André Daughtry, Mark Travis Rivera, and Eva Yaa Asantewaa.
The panel took place in New York, NY in 2018.
Network of Ensemble Theatres Conference 2018
The plenary "Dance in the Desert: Latinx Artists Co-Creating Community Across Distance" was featured at the Network of Ensemble Theater's "re:Routes National Gathering & Symposium". The plenary highlighted "Dance in the Desert: A Case Study" in connecting Latinx dancemakers across communities and geographies.
The panel was co-moderated by speakers Erin Donohue, Adriana "Bibi" Harris, Reyna Montoya, Ruby Morales, Gabriela Muñoz, and Dance in the Desert founder Yvonne Montoya. The plenary took place in Tempe, AZ in 2018.
Dance/AZ: Shaping the Future of AZ Dance 2016
Organized by the National Dance Project (NDP) Advisors, Dance/AZ: Shaping the Future of Arizona Dance was facilitated by Liz Lerman, Yvonne Montoya and the New England Foundation for the Arts staff.
This convening brought together Arizona's diverse community of dance professionals to envision a future for our field together. The gathering also provided opportunities to connect with dance community members, learn more about local resources, and engage in a conversation with NEFA about their dance programs and grant opportunities, which emphasize dance production and touring.
The gathering took place in Mesa, AZ in 2016.
El Mundo Zurdo Conference 2018
The panel "Nepantla Embodiment: A Convivio of Latinx Dance & Performance" featured the work of the Decolonial Epistemologies: Dance Lab organized by Fabiola Torralba. Presenters included Yvonne Montoya, Fabian Barba, Mireya Guerra, and Fabiola Torralba.
Well Fed Artist Workshop 2018
The workshop "Core Values: Knowing if the Gig is Right for You" with was co-presented by Yvonne Montoya and aerosol artist Such Styles. Panelists shared the history of of our art forms and experiences creating work and securing gigs that reflect our core values.
The workshop was hosted by Creative Catalysts and [nueBOX] at the Mesa Contemporary Arts in Mesa, AZ in 2018.