Going with the Flow...

WORDS HANNAH SIEMER PHOTOGRAPHY LUCY VINCENT

Latin performer, dancer, and actor Michelle Vallejos is a world away from her home in Lima, Peru. Her roots, however, have not been forgotten. Since arriving in Esperance in October last year, Michelle has been sharing her love of Latin dance and music with local women through a series of body movement workshops, Flow Into. Offering a safe, intimate, and judgement-free space for participants to connect with their bodies, Michelle’s classes have proven incredibly popular with women of all ages.

Michelle began dancing at the age of five and by 13, she was dancing professionally. Attending a prestigious Peruvian dance academy throughout her high school years, Michelle went on to study a Bachelor of Theatre at university, integrating her passion for dance with theatre. Michelle’s graduation from university coincided with Covid lockdowns and political unrest, challenging her quest to pursue performance as a career. “It was difficult to be an artist,” Michelle recalls. “We did a lot of independent projects with our own money, and I taught theatre and dance for kids, which I’d done since I was 17.”

Michelle loved teaching children. However, when friends requested she open a space for adults, so she could share her love of dance with them, Michelle was hesitant. “I wasn’t sure, but they pushed me to do it,” she says. With the encouragement of her friends and motivated by the lack of female-centred performance spaces, Michelle opened two dance studios, just for women. “We need more spaces for women,” she says. “It’s important that we can come together in a safe environment to support each other.”

As political unrest in Peru heightened, Michelle sought a lifestyle change. With her sister Sharon living in Esperance, last year Michelle applied for an Australian working holiday visa and boarded a plane. Coming from Lima, which has a population of almost 13 million people, it took time to adjust to the size and pace of Esperance. “It was hard for me because I came from a city and Esperance was so different. It was very quiet and everything felt so slow,” Michelle admits. “But now I enjoy it.”

Michelle was snapped up by Esperance Community Arts (ECA) as soon as she landed in town. Her local workshop series, Flow Into , is part of ECA’s Our Stories program, which celebrates multiculturalism Esperance. Despite some apprehension about whether the style of Michelle’s workshops – which encourage free expression using artistic tools such as dance, theatre, music and improvisation – would work, almost 20 people signed up for the first class. Most classes have been at capacity since. “The people who were there really wanted to be there,” Michelle says. “They were so happy and grateful for the class, and that’s so beautiful.”

Like Michelle’s dance classes back in Peru, her Esperance workshops are targeted at women. Participants range in age, have varied backgrounds and, according to Michelle, many, if not most, have never danced before. However, Michelle assures this is not a barrier to participating. “There’s no pressure,” she says. “We are not here to be professional dancers, we are just here to enjoy.” Alongside enjoyment, Michelle says the biggest benefit of Flow Into is gaining the support of a diverse group of women. “I really believe in women supporting women because I think the world makes us compete against each other,” she says. “This helps us trust each other.”

Paula Urtasun is ECA’s Marketing Officer and an active participant of Flow Into . Paula, who grew up in Spain, danced when she was younger but says classes were usually focussed on learning choreography in order to perform. “We’d take it seriously,” Paula says. Michelle’s classes are a vastly different experience. “This is just for fun. You don’t have to worry about your physical state, or that you’re not fit enough, or that you’ve never danced before. You just go, laugh, and enjoy.” ⟶

From ECA’s perspective, Paula says Flow Into has been “really, really successful,” and a strong finish to the yearlong Our Stories program. “It’s been super enriching,” she says of the program. “People didn’t realise how many cultures there are in this community and thanks to people like Michelle showing their culture and sharing it with the rest of us, we’ve been able to experience so much diversity.”

PUT YOUR DANCING SHOES ON!

Flow Into has two remaining workshops, on March 13 and 20 at 5:30pm at the CWA Hall. Anyone aged 18 years and older who identifies as a woman is welcome to participate. No registration is requiredsimply turn up. For further information, contact Esperance Community Arts at admin@ esperancecommunityarts.org.au or head to www.esperancecommunityarts.org.au.