Modern    

In 1982 Elsa Valbuena founded Gaudere Danza in Cali, Colombia, where she was born. Since her arrival thirteen years ago to the Tampa Bay area she has reestablished herself as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. Elsa’s work has been presented in numerous national and international dance venues and festivals in Colombia, Costa Rica, Spain, Venezuela and the United States. The continued collaboration with artists both in her field and in other mediums is essential in her work. Elsa has created collaborative works with Ernest Gusella, Tomiyo Sasaki, Dee Moses, Alvaro Tobon, German Arrieta, Eduardo Pradilla. Claire Laronde, Joan Epstein, Ricardo Neira and Guillermo Gaviria. While developing her own work she has been a noted performer/collaborator in the works of Alvaro Restrepo, Cho Kyoo-Hyun, Liliana Villegas, Federico Restrepo as well as with numerous independent choreographers. In 1997 she co-founded Moving Current, a choreographer’s collective and served as co-director for four seasons in Tampa, FL. A dedicated choreographer and teacher, Elsa served as guest choreographer and adjunct professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL for eight years, she has also taught and presented her work in dance programs at the University of Tampa, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College, Hillsborough Community College, Florida International University in Miami, FL and the Florida Dance Festival where she also taught for four consecutive years. This summer 2007 Elsa took part as guest teacher and choreographer in the “Fusion Project”, an intensive dance education program conceived by Gerard Alexander and sponsored by the Atlanta Ballet. An active and creative performer and collaborator in the Tampa Bay Area, state and nationally, Elsa was awarded the prestigious State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs and Florida Arts Council. Individual Artist Fellowship and twice received the Arts Council of Hillsborough County’s Individual Artist Grants. In Bogota. Colombia she was awarded the Beca de Creación in collaboration with Ricardo Neira and Robert Breckenridge for “Territorios”. In 2001, Elsa entered a new realm of movement exploration and investigation. Through her work with the Arts and Medicine Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute, Elsa began working with the creative process and its integration with the holistic approach to the therapeutic and healing possibilities that the arts, in particular dance, can have on people and their surroundings. Her current work has included a series of programs exploring the experiential movement world of adults and elders. She has guest taught dance and choreographed for FOREVER MOVING, a multigenerational troupe the Hillsborough Arts Council sponsored at the Life Enrichment Center. Elsa also created a series of classes exploring the experiential movement world of aging for the University of South Florida, Center for Arts and Aging and the School of Aging Studies.