By Aaliyah Ybarra
Hello! My name is Aaliyah Ybarra, I am a dancer, student, teacher, and creative/ artist. I was lucky enough to be blessed with the opportunity to do my “externship” at Heidi Duckler Dance in partnership with Inner City Arts. My time at HDD was nothing short of informational and explorative. I got to observe staff meetings, how contracts are made, how classes are taught, and the details behind production for an HDD performance, which all have contributed to my knowledge of dance as well as the process of running a dance company. In addition to all those experiences, I got to be more hands-on when they asked me to help them come up with ideas, plan events, and organize/ help write important documents. As someone who aspires to one day be a performance director I cherished the moments when I was included in the behind-the-scenes aspects and loved learning about my colleagues as well as what they bring to the table for this organization. It allowed me to learn about the kinds of people it takes to run a company as well as all the hard work that goes into every little detail!
Working the Education Upcycling Installation Activity at Ebb & Flow: Exposition Park 2024 | Photo by Cathie Arteaga
A highlight from my internship here would have to be assisting a teaching artist at a residency program HDD has with a middle school. I’ve never been hired as a teacher or assistant and so this was my first time experiencing a real classroom setting. As an assistant, I got to observe how kids in middle school reacted to dance, activities, as well as different methods of teaching. I never thought I wanted to teach before, in fact, I would always tell myself that I wasn’t good with kids, that I didn’t have the skills to deal with kids, and that I wouldn’t know where to start when it came to conducting a lesson plan. However, this experience made me fall in love with kids and realize that I genuinely enjoyed encouraging them to dance, participate, and take an interest in all that we were doing. After this experience, I discovered that I want to dig deeper into what makes children want to participate and what makes them feel safe enough to express themselves. Without HDD I might not have realized this interest until later.
During my time at Heidi Duckler Dance, I felt seen and listened to because everyone was so kind and took great interest in me. Working so closely with the Education Director, Belize Wilheim, was nothing short of amazing! We had many conversations about my interests, career paths, as well as her role within HDD. I felt well taken care of and looked after. In all honesty, I was inspired by the attitude and work ethic of these professional and intentional women. They were constantly working, meeting, improving systems, and looking for new opportunities for their foundation. It made me realize how much work and conversations have to happen in order for a company to not only survive but thrive.
