Movement Exchange unites dance and service. We are a growing community of dance diplomats—movers and shakers, activists and global citizens, dreamers and achievers, teachers and learners, volunteers and friends. We believe that when we move the world, we move to change.
MISSION
Movement Exchange unites dance and service through its network of university chapters, international dance exchanges, and year-round programs in underserved communities.
VISION
We envision a world in which:
• Dance education is accessible to all
• Dance is synonymous to service
• Dance enables all to achieve their optimal mental, social, and physical well-being
VALUES
• Cross-cultural understanding
• Civic engagement
• Social equity and inclusion
• Creative expression
• Sustainable dance education
IMPACT
Since 2010…
2,495
dance diplomats
5,550
dance classes
33,887
youth participants
60,798
volunteers hours
Movement Exchange: More Than Dance
Check out this short documentary showcases Movement Exchange’s mission to unite dance and service and facilitate cross-cultural understanding. Dance is a universal language and we are all born as dancers and movers! Featuring our 10th Annual Show and our 2019 Open International Dance Exchange in Panama City, we see how dance and movement can facilitate connection between people of different cultures and backgrounds and be a driving force for social justice.
Producer & Cinematographer: Katy Scoggin
Editor: Taj Kokayi
State of the Movement Address
Each month, Movement Exchange releases video updates featuring recent events, interviews, international dance exchanges, and news on our university chapters.
Annual Theater Shows in Panama
Movement Exchange organizes annual performances at the National Theater of Panama and Teatro Anita Villalaz for over 80 students. Guest performers from the community are also invited to dance on stage with our students. Shows are free to the public, further supporting our mission to make the arts accessible to all.
SUSTAINABILITY
Movement Exchange creates a sustainable impact through dance and service by supporting year-round, locally staffed dance programs. We have dance programs at two orphanages and an at-risk youth foundation in Panama. Additionally, Move-Ex university chapters provide free weekly dance classes at various institutions in the U.S. including domestic violence shelters, youth programs, nursing homes, and refugee centers.
WHERE WE SERVE
UNITED STATES
Our network of university chapters provide free, accessible dance education in their own communities throughout the U.S.
PANAMA
We organize international dance exchanges and year-round classes at orphanages and foundations throughout Panama.
BRAZIL
Our international dance exchanges to Rio de Janeiro provide the opportunity to explore and discover Brazil through dance.
TEAM
Blair Brown went on her first open exchange with Movement Exchange in 2012 and then returned again in 2014 with students from UC Irvine. The first experience with Movement Exchange was life changing and demonstrated to her the power of dance in building community and understanding. She conducted her graduate research on the impact of service learning on pre-professional dancers in university programs. Movement Exchange changed the course of her career and passions and she has stayed actively involved for the past ten years.
She received her BA in Dance from Loyola Marymount University and her MFA in Dance from UC Irvine with a focus in education. Upon receiving her graduate degree, she moved to New York City and created a comprehensive new dance, yoga, and health program at Storefront Academy Harlem, a K-8 tuition free private school in East Harlem. For five years she was the dance and arts integration specialist at Bronx Charter School for the Arts, a K-8 public arts charter school in the Bronx. Her teaching experience has been extensive and allowed her to develop an educational philosophy that was culturally responsive and rooted in the needs of the students.
Blair also has a background in dance film, having created many choreographic films for festivals, and a documentary about her experience with Movement Exchange. She has used her skills in media to start her own digital marketing company, Ensemble Social, dedicated to helping nonprofits and education related businesses grow their online presence.
She is very excited to officially come on board with Movement Exchange and continue working towards dance education access for all!
blair@movementexchanges.org
Maybe Henriquez is a Contemporary Dancer and teacher, Bgirl (Breakin dancer) and Cultural Manager in Panamá. Maybe received a Bachelor of Modern Dance at the University of Panama. She is also the CEO of Nosotras Somos Hip Hop (panamanian female hip hop movement). She is excited to work for Movement Exchange as the Panama Country Director!
maybe@movementexchanges.org
Lindsey is an LA native and has been an artist most of her life starting out as a dancer and singer. She took that passion and attended The Boston Conservatory for Musical Theater. Shortly after, she moved to New York to perform and after a few years decided she wanted to be a teacher. She received her MA in Education from Columbia University and taught in the New York public school system for almost a decade. Recently, she left the teaching profession to pursue co-ownership of her own digital marketing and branding business. She currently lives in Jersey City with her husband, baby boy, and her fierce little sausage dog, Nellie. She loves being a part of Movement Exchange’s mission to foster community, leadership, and service through artistic experiences.
lindsey@movementexchanges.org
Movement Exchange is the culmination of Anna Pasternak’s desire to integrate her passion for dance, public service, and international experiences. Anna’s work has been featured in the Harvard Magazine, as a young artist on National Public Television, among other international publications. Anna has danced professionally in an array of styles, although her most outrageous dance experience to date was dancing on tour in Japan with a samba company from Rio de Janeiro alongside Kenyan human pyramid makers and a Japanese mariachi band. Her work with Global Brigades in the rural and indigenous regions of Panama connected Anna to the dance community of Panama, and subsequently inspired her vision for Movement Exchange. Anna received her BA from Harvard University. She previously studied dance at the San Francisco High School of the Arts, the National Arts School of Cuba, and received her early training with Shely Pack-Manning. In 2011, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico City. You can currently find Anna surfing the Northern California coast and dreaming of the days when she lived in places where she didn’t need to own a wetsuit.
anna@movementexchanges.org
Jose is the breakdance instructor for Barrio Activo in El Chorrillo. Jose began dancing breakdance in 2011 after seeing a group of bboys. Since he began dancing, he has participated in a number of competitions in Panama City, such as “507” and “Back to the Scene.” He is continually striving to improve and evolve in breakdance and he enjoys working with Movement Exchange because he believes that accessible dance education is a wonderful resource. Working with the children in El Chorrillo, where there is a lot of hostility, dance can be an alternative and an exit to all the problems that are present in their daily lives. He believes that dance is a means of artistic expression that allows you to peacefully release all the negativity we carry with us.
Andrea is Movement Exchange’s ballet instructor at Malambo Orphanage. Andrea began dancing when she was 11 years old. She began her training at the National Dance School and has participated in a number of notable works by both Panamanian and foreign choreographers. She is currently working independently, teaching and performing with a variety of dance projects in Panama and developing herself as a dancer and choreographer. Andrea believes that the Malambo community benefits greatly from dance as the majority of the girls come from dysfunctional families, domestic problems, and self-esteem issues. More than just learning technique or discipline, dance can help these girls find a sense of community at Malambo and provide them a sense of purpose and importance. Andrea’s favorite part about teaching dance is watching her students evolve both in and outside of the studio.
Hernan is the Move-Ex breakdance instructor at Malambo Orphanage. He began dancing in 2005 when he saw a group practicing breakdance outside of a school. The movements he saw that day had a huge impact on his life and from that moment, he decided to start dancing. At first, breakdancing was a hobby, but after a few years of training, it became a part of his way of life. He believes that dance provides an opportunity to keep children away from drugs and violence, while also giving them tools for personal growth and development. He enjoys watching his students perform choreography and movement that they once saw as difficult and impossible. He is inspired by seeing his students learn, grow, and evolve.
Boris Angel Alvarado, beginning his first dance steps at the age of 14, is a lover of improvisation and choreography, currently belongs to la chants dance groups (house dance), Lid dance company, and is a student majoring in fine arts with a concentration in dance and specialization in modern dance at the University of Panama. He is excited to join the Movement Exchange this year, 2021.
Board of Directors
United States:
Zachary Jones
Alan Sussna
Anna Pasternak
Panama:
J Michie
Anna Pasternak
Nora Uzcategui
Advisory Board
Blair Brown
Andie Duong
Alice Lu
Kimberly Lucht
Megan Maggi
Angie Pan
Alyssa Quicquaro
Adele Switzer
Kirsten Torchalski
Dana Vanderburgh
Xiangdi Zhang
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
U.S. Embassy in Panama
The U.S. Embassy has been a supporter of Movement Exchange since its conception. With the support of the U.S. Embassy, Move-Ex organizes yearly performance starring over 100 at-risk youth at theaters throughout Panama.
Malambo Orphanage
Movement Exchange teaches weekly dance classes at Malambo. Dance diplomats also teach at Malambo during international dance exchanges. 95% of the orphanage are Afro-Panamanian or Indigenous girls, many of whom have been sexually or physically abused. Over 100 children live there full-time.
Aldea SOS Orphanage
The Aldea SOS Orphanage receives weekly classes from Movement Exchange’s Panamanian team in addition to classes from our international volunteers during dance exchanges. Over 60 youth live at Aldea.
Barrio Activo
Barrio Activo provides classes and workshops in hip hop culture including breakdance, rap, and graffiti. Barrio Activo works mainly in and around Panama City, serving children in El Chorrillo and Curundu.
University of Panama
Movement Exchange teaches and takes class with the dance department at the National University of Panama. The dance department offers concentrations in ballet, modern and Panamanian folklore.
National Dance School
The National Dance School offers affordable dance education to children and teenagers in Panama City. They offer classes in an array of dance styles including Panamanian folkloric, flamenco, ballet, modern, and more. Movement Exchange offers classes to, and takes class from the school.
Paninka School
Paninka School is an elementary school in Panama West, which serves kids ages 4-12. Since March 2020, Move-Ex has worked with the school to provide weekly virtual and in-person classes to the students in breakdance, ballet, and contemporary.
Viva Rio - Brazil
Viva Rio works in underserved communities throughout Rio de Janeiro providing health and education services. Movement Exchange provides free dance classes to the community of Pavao/Pavaozinho.
PRESS
General Press
- Dance Spirit – We’re Obsessed with this TEDx Talk on Dance Diplomacy (January 6, 2019)
- Instituto da Criança – ONG Movement Exchange leva a dança para instituição da rede do Instituto da Criança (August 16, 2018)
- La Prensa – La unidad que da la danza (July 19, 2018)
- The Breakfast Show with Gerry D – Movement Exchange (July 12, 2018)
- Giving Compass – Movement Exchange Changes Kids’ Lives Through the Power of Dance (March 28, 2018)
- La Prensa – Cuando la danza une a dos países (June 30, 2017)
- Newsroom Panama – Talent in Movement an Inspirational Dance Experience (June 22, 2017)
- La Estrella de Panamá – La Danza que Transforma al Mundo (February 11, 2017)
- Half Moon Bay Review – Coastside dancers make strides around world (March 7, 2013)
- Half Moon Bay Patch – Founder of Movement Exchange Returns to Martin’s Beach (February 18, 2013)
- Dance Magazine – Making it Happen: Dancing to Change (December 1, 2012)
- La Prensa – Danza Para Niños (July 22, 2012)
- La Opinion – Movement Exchange Dicta Taller de Danza (July 20, 2012)
- Sport and Dev – New Dance Organisations (September 21, 2011)
- Napa Valley Register – Napa Man Brings Dance to Panama Orphanage (August 21, 2011)
- La Prensa – Niños: Danza y Expresión Corporal (June 19, 2011)
- The Visitor/El Visitante – Inter-Cultural Dance Week Culminates on July 4 at Teatro Nacional (July 2010)
University Chapter Press
- Saint Louis University (SLU) – Making the Spirit Move Them: SLU Group Uses Dance, Culture to Connect with Kids (January 10, 2019)
- Western Herald (WMU) – RSO Spotlight: Movement Exchange (November 17, 2017)
- Fairfax County Times (GMU) – ¡Bailamos! (May 12, 2017)
- The Finer Points (Utah) – Panama Movement Exchange: School of Dance Students Engage in Arts Advocacy (May 3, 2017)
- @theU (Utah) – Empowering Youth Through Dance (March 27, 2017)
- The Daily Utah Chronicle (Utah) – U Students Travel to Panama to Teach Orphans to Dance (March 23, 2017)
- Her Campus (FSU) – Adele Switzer: Moving Feet and Feelings (October 7, 2016)
- Western Michigan University Magazine (WMU) – Moving to Serve, Page 28 (September 2016)
- The Fine Print (WMU) – The Power of Dance (June 30, 2016)
- FSU News (FSU) – Students Travel to Panama to Teach Dance to Orphans During Spring Break (March 2, 2016)
- IU Newsroom (IU) – IU Students Share Universal Language of Dance in Panama with Movement Exchange (February 8, 2016)
- Indiana Daily Student (IU) – Students dance in worldwide movement (February 15, 2015)
- Studio (Utah) – Dancers Without Borders, Page 16 (March 27, 2014)
- The State Press (ASU) – Students Plan to Help Children through Dance Group Movement Exchange (March 2, 2014)
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) – U Dancers Raising Money for Panama Exchange (January 29, 2013)