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Itztli-Xochitl Arteaga 

Itztli- Xochitl Arteaga was born in 1998 in Los Angeles, CA.  In 2021, she received her Bachelor's Degree in Dance Making and a minor in Education at the University of California, Riverside. Arteaga was raised in East Los Angeles where she and her family have given the community free Mexica (Aztec) dance classes for the past 30 years. Arteaga is currently a dance teacher specializing in Indigenous Mexica and Folklorico dance.  A notable achievement was the privilege to perform at the Hollywood Bowl for Mariachi USA, to tour across California with Danza Azteca Xochipilli, and her residency with Mariachi Los Reyes. Arteaga is working towards opening a dance studio where she looks to create a safe indigenous community space. 

Perú in Motion brings you an immersive journey into the heart of Peru’s vibrant culture. Through dynamic live performances of traditional music and dance, you'll experience the richness of Peruvian heritage. ³Û´Ç³Ü’l±ô also have the opportunity to engage in a master class, where you can learn the movements, rhythms, and techniques that bring these ancient traditions to life. This program offers a unique blend of entertainment and education, allowing you to connect with Peru’s culture in a meaningful and interactive way. 

Tania Araoz (Peru in Motion)

Professional dancer and choreographer with a Bachelor's degree in Education, Art, and Culture from the University of Folklore in Perú (2007-2011). A former member of the National Folkloric Ballet of Perú (2012 - 2016) , Tania Araoz represented the country on international stages in Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, and the United States. With a passion for nurturing talent, she has also directed performance casts at various universities, fostering the next generation of dancers. Currently based in San Diego, California, she leads and collaborates on multiple artistic projects, continuing to enrich the cultural landscape through dance and performance art.

Roxanne Rojas de Blanco (Peru in Motion)

Roxanne Rojas de Blanco is a graduate from UCSD and SDSU, in bilingual education and Latin American studies.  She is a life-long student of dance performing with dance companies that represent cultures of Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Peru and Brazil.  She has taught dance education in schools for several decades with non-profit organizations such as Institute for Arts Education, City Moves!, Young Audiences, Arts for Learning and Bocón Community Arts.  She presently works with A Step Beyond, a wrap-around creative youth development organization based in Escondido that inspires and supports youth through dance, academics and family services from third grade until graduation.

The Dancing Mind - February 13, 2025

A journey of evocative creations Whilst dance is food for my soul, choreography is sustenance for my mind.

With a journey as a Indian dance choreographer, spanning across more than 3 decades, creating  close to 50 dance productions, my involvement of having worked with a wide variety of performers from amateurs, non-dancers, children, to trained professional Indian dancers , primarily using the Indian ballet form of dance, has been an extremely satisfying, rich experience .  Training to be a choreographer has been a rarity within the Indian dance context. So the process needed to be dictated by the ability to observe, imbibe, evolve, whilst exploring and creating work, often delving deeply into one s instinctive ,intuitive sense of designing  movement patterns for different bodies and  as a result creating a signature style of one s own. Do join me as I share aspects of my choreographic exploration with dance and movement in a lecture demonstration  conducted by me – Anusree Bonnerjee, assisted by Nilesh Singha.