So I'm leaving tomorrow and have absolutely no time left to write a post, however I'm putting up some photos from my last day at Aldea and will write a blog on my 22 hour (bad decision) bus ride tomorrow to San Pedro de Atacama.
And here is the blog I wrote for the VE Global website about the dance the Aldea girls did for Christmas.
Finally a photo of my girls I can post!!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 10:55AM 
Aleisha Manion
Christchurch, New Zealand
The girls at Aldea María Reina love to dance.
So with Christmas around the corner and the opportunity for an audience during the holiday celebrations, a Navidad-themed baile was in order. With the song chosen and the dance choreographed, the only thing left to do was to recruit some dancers. This can be harder than it sounds at the hogar. Housing around 45 teenage girls, the girls moods change constantly, affecting whether they want to participate in the days activities or not. Myself and the other volunteers have found usually the best source of motivation to get them to join in comes from the girls seeing others enjoying themselves and not wanting to miss out on the fun!
True to form, we started the day with one girl and ended with six, with another three more wanting to join in tomorrow. A week went by filled with rehearsals, and new girls asking to join in each day. The girls worked hard together. It made me really happy to see their long-term commitment to putting in the time and effort to make their dance look the best it could.
There were girls who struggled with a particular step one day, who after some one-on-one time would turn up the next day and have it perfect. I saw older girls helping the younger ones, and others taking the initiative to solve choreographic problems, or encouraging the others around them to keep practicing. It was nice to see sides of girls' personalities I had not seen before, girls who usually had no interest in dance who put themselves outside their comfort zone to try something new.
Well the big day arrived and after coordinating costumes and a last minute rehearsal out on the cancha, they were ready as they would ever be. Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas" came through speakers and they began their routine. While some had shy smiles across their faces and others threw themselves into it, the cheers, applause and encouragement from the audience was well deserved. I truly felt proud of each and every one of them as I snapped away with my camera, happy to see all their hard work finally paying off.
Again I am amazed at the energy and spirit of the girls I work with every day and what they are capable of if they put their mind to it.
Here is the link to the original blog and you can also check out the sopaipilla video Stephen made on this page.
http://www.ve-global.org/blog/
See you in San Pedro woop woop!
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| Last day at Aldea with Stephen & Lily. I'm going to miss them so much! |
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| Exactly how I like my sopaipilla hmmmm going to miss these too. |
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| aaawwww. |
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| Photo taken my last day in Santiago with my disgusting new haircut. Be warned this is what happens when you can't speak a country's native language. |
And here is the blog I wrote for the VE Global website about the dance the Aldea girls did for Christmas.
Finally a photo of my girls I can post!!!
Baile de la Navidad
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 10:55AM Aleisha Manion
Christchurch, New Zealand
The girls at Aldea María Reina love to dance.
So with Christmas around the corner and the opportunity for an audience during the holiday celebrations, a Navidad-themed baile was in order. With the song chosen and the dance choreographed, the only thing left to do was to recruit some dancers. This can be harder than it sounds at the hogar. Housing around 45 teenage girls, the girls moods change constantly, affecting whether they want to participate in the days activities or not. Myself and the other volunteers have found usually the best source of motivation to get them to join in comes from the girls seeing others enjoying themselves and not wanting to miss out on the fun!
True to form, we started the day with one girl and ended with six, with another three more wanting to join in tomorrow. A week went by filled with rehearsals, and new girls asking to join in each day. The girls worked hard together. It made me really happy to see their long-term commitment to putting in the time and effort to make their dance look the best it could.
There were girls who struggled with a particular step one day, who after some one-on-one time would turn up the next day and have it perfect. I saw older girls helping the younger ones, and others taking the initiative to solve choreographic problems, or encouraging the others around them to keep practicing. It was nice to see sides of girls' personalities I had not seen before, girls who usually had no interest in dance who put themselves outside their comfort zone to try something new.
Well the big day arrived and after coordinating costumes and a last minute rehearsal out on the cancha, they were ready as they would ever be. Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas" came through speakers and they began their routine. While some had shy smiles across their faces and others threw themselves into it, the cheers, applause and encouragement from the audience was well deserved. I truly felt proud of each and every one of them as I snapped away with my camera, happy to see all their hard work finally paying off.
Again I am amazed at the energy and spirit of the girls I work with every day and what they are capable of if they put their mind to it.
Here is the link to the original blog and you can also check out the sopaipilla video Stephen made on this page.
http://www.ve-global.org/blog/
See you in San Pedro woop woop!
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