We are very happy that after Ildi, we have another global citizen giving us an interview.
We are so grateful to my dear friend Milagros for talking to us about her passion for dancing.
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF BRIEFLY FOR OUR READERS (WHERE DO YOU COME FROM, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR LIVING, WHAT ARE YOU HOBBIES AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL US)
Milagros Jiménez (Madrid, 1973). I have an eclectic background in aeronautical engineering, physics and development cooperation. After 7 years working in the aeronautical sector in Spain, I moved to the development cooperation area, devoting 15 years of my life to different African countries. In 2019, I moved back to Europe, and I currently living in Brussels where I combine my work in development issues with my passion – dance.
Each country I have been living in has given me the opportunity to develop a different personal interest. In Tunisia, I was performing in theatre groups and soap operas. During the Tunisian uprising, I was committed to making art installations from recovered materials, seeking an interaction between the art installation and the public.
In Senegal, I discovered that dance is a powerful channel to communicate different narratives. Passionate by writing, my story “Reaction” served as inspiration for my first dance creation.
SINCE WHEN YOU DANCE AND WHY? WHO WAS YOUR INSPIRATION IN DANCING?
As a child I attended Spanish dance courses. I then started latin and belly dancing whilst in Morocco and Tunisia. However, it was in Senegal that I really discovered my passion for dance and the richness of African Dances.
I was dazzled by the energy spread out and the connection among the dancers and with the audience. The dancers were telling a story, and I could see that the public were so intrigued in their narrative through the dance that they too wanted to participate. The dancers transmitted their energy to the audience and made their story come alive.
For me dancing comes from a need to express myself beyond the words and to share my inquisitiveness, my inner world.
WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AND USED IN LIFE FROM DANCING, HOW IT WAS USEFUL FOR YOU?
Dancing is about creativity, about challenging yourself, overcoming your fears, growing as a person…
You realise that after many rehearsals, work pays and magic happens. Then you are able to perform the most difficult step you never thought you’d be able to do.
For me, it’s a way to reinforce your self-confidence, to strengthen your discipline to get your objectives in place, to develop your creativity, to express yourself, to connect and exchange with others…
I remember the first time I attended a dance performance in Senegal, I so desperately wanted to be part of it, but a lot of constraints/fears were preventing me from doing it. It felt as if a dream became a reality before leaving the country as last year I was performing my own dance creation in multiple different festivals (Festival à Sahel Ouvert, Danse Fé, La nuit de la danse).
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT DANICING AND WHY YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO DANCE?
Dance is to speak a universal language that can unveil what words hide.
It is a way to be really yourself, to share your soul without prejudices while touching other’s soul. It’s a path to improve yourself and to focus on what you really want.
Moreover it’s a means to channel your artistic anxiety.
And more significant, dance breaks down boundaries and allows people from very different backgrounds to connect among themselves and to create a community and solidarity spirit.
