Check Out Maria Antonieta (Toni) Bravo’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Antonieta (Toni) Bravo.

Maria Antonieta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Dance is joy. Dance is health and mobility.

Dance is fortitude, determination, grit.

Dance is balance between body and spirit.

Dance is knowledge of self and of our human connections.

Dance is the purest expression of self-accomplishment.

Dance allows our spirit to soar, to feel, to express what there are no words for…

Dance is the playful physical expression of our creativity.

Dance is appreciation and consideration towards the human experience.

Dance is our thirst for learning and achieving in motion.

Dance makes you the work of art.

I have always danced. AND, somehow, I have always known the above list of reasons for loving the art of dance.

When I discovered that dance could be a profession, I became determined to pursue it.

My dance training took me away from the wrong relationships and from Motherhood, which would had been disastrous.

Dance gave me the courage to move to a different country three times.

Dance has given me wisdom about educational alternatives and about longevity of muscle and of purpose.

I firmly believe that dance can be the perfect vehicle to a profound understanding of: Physics, Math, All of the Movement of Science [any science], Social Studies, Language Arts and Cultural Traditions. I have research about all of this for 26 years.

I’m deeply convinced that dance belongs to everyone. I think our species communicated through movement and images long before there was language. And I am convinced that dance is as universal a language as music.

I am utterly certain that dance is the ultimate expression of our physical, emotional, and intellectual capabilities. All rolled into one. “ME CONNECTED TO ALL”

So, I have designed programs for: “Dance in Schools”, “Dance Technique and Current Knowledge”, ‘The Making of Relevant Dance Works’, ‘Safety in dance training’, “Learning to dance, Dancing to learn”, and “Ballet for What i’s Worth”

I love my art, and I hate the fact that it has been taken hostage by money.

I will go anyplace where these values are honored. And I travel a lot!

I will train and collaborate with anyone possessing the passion and the humility that this art requires and promotes!!

I am an artist, an educator, and a promotor of keeping current with the latest research about cognitive, physical, and environmental development.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Challenges come and go. They make the road more exciting!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is a mix of different cultural influences. Although it is movement-based, I tend to mix videography with poetry and theatrical interactions with athletic partnering. I prefer to work with young artists that are open to experimentation and are willing to continue learning from my research and my collaborators. Working with a pre-established style feels a bit stale. Not one of my concerts looks like the others and I dislike technical gimmicks that impress for a moment and give no substance to the dancers or the audience.

I work with and for several international connections including: The Irish Youth Dance Festival, SE.S.TA in Czech Republic, Lernwerk.de in Berlin, Dock11 in Berlin Listros Gallery in Berlin, SKVR in Rotterdam and ICK in Amsterdam.

I’ve created work for different artistic entities in Austin, including THE VORTEX, Austin Shakespeare, UT Austin Dance and Theatre, UT Austin Opera, Texas State Dance, ACC theatre.

I am the artistic director of The Violet Crown Players’ Diverse Space Youth Dance Theatre. Our mission:

We create movement-based performance works that project connectedness and promote growth.

We form dancers, physically and intellectually. We stimulate their curiosity and responsiveness. We emphasize safety and longevity.

Our Dance training builds muscles, character, community and provides youth with an awareness of health and current social issues. We also provide affordable training and scholarships.

What makes you happy?
I am happy being where I am, when I am… I am extremely lucky to have friends and colleagues in many places in the world. I love to travel to them, and we create relevant feelings and environments. I am happy that I can go anywhere where I feel loved and I can create with my loved ones.

Pricing:

• Classes – $5 to $10 or what ever people can pay
• Residencies – house me and feed me. $100 to $100,000
• Training teachers – Usually paid in Euros, 400€ to 4000€
• Choreography – From a Solo to a full length Musical $30 to $8000

Contact Info:

• Email: diversespace@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.tonibravo.com/education https://diversespacedance.com/ https://whydancetonibravo.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diversespacedance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diversespacedance https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039596621828
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od86xfHL7-0
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4Vil905Bg

Image Credits:
All my photos were taken by Phillip Patterson Jr. He is a dear friend and collaborator, who has followed my work for many year. NOTE: The only B/W photo was taken by one of my dancers a long time ago.