From 28th of April to 2nd of May 2025, our dear Derida Dance Center visited Mérida for a co-creation workshop within the Dancing Histor(y)ies project.

The workshop was organized by the Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival, in collaboration with local choreographers, TAPTC Teatro, Centro Cultural Nueva Ciudad, the Reyes Huertas Senior Center, and the Triángulo Foundation.

The program began with a dance exchange “Minotauro”, where Derida Dance engaged with local contemporary dancers to explore inspiration and collaboration opportunities. This was followed by a theatre experience with students of TAPTC? Teatro, working with texts and emotions.

On the second day, the company attended a conference on “Asterion: Visions of the Myth (from Ovid to Borges)”, exploring Greco-Latin myth as artistic inspiration, and later introduced the local community to “Woguing” in a dynamic workshop at the Centro Cultural Nueva Ciudad.

The workshop also included participation in the official presentation of the 2025 Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival, as well as a Historical Memory talk, “Romance of Courage”, where members of the local LGTBI+ community aged 65–80 shared personal experiences of discrimination and resilience. Further dialogue with the LGTBI+ community unfolded through a poetry-inspired debate on May 1st, creating a powerful intergenerational exchange.

The final day featured a conference led by Silvia Tostado of the Triángulo Foundation, discussing LGBTQI rights and politics in Extremadura, followed by a Derida Dance workshop and performance including Drag Necar, which introduced the audience to drag culture and its creative potential.

Through these encounters, Derida Dance connected with local artists, activists, and diverse communities, weaving together mythology, memory, and identity as core elements of their co-creation process!