Excerpts from journals kept during 2013 and 2014 JUNTOS trips

By Yoshie Fujimoto Kateada

May 31st 2013: Journal entry written in Mexico during my first JUNTOS trip
The sense of community that the twelve of us have created is incredible [referring to my
fellow travelers]. Its usually so much harder to get to know people because you dont start
talking about the important things for a long time, but here it is so much easier to go straight to
what is deep down. Imagine what life would be like if we went straight to the important part
every time we met someone. I suppose that might be a little much, but I think that there is a lot
of pretense that can be dropped away.
Performing in the rain in the town square [in Oaxaca, Mexico] was incredibly powerful.
Ins [one of my fellow travelers] and I talked about the amazing diversity of life experience in
the crowd. Tourists, children, elderly, teenagers, etc. It made it feel like - us dancing and them
watching- we were the only people in the world. There was an intense joy in that performance
that I have never before experienced. It was an experience of giving and receiving that was
completely uninhibited by all of our differences and was, in fact, made richer by them. Also, the
Ballet Folklorico dancers [a group that we taught and took workshops with] came to see us, and
to see them standing there watching us was wonderful.
Joanna [JUNTOS director] encouraged us to look at the audience when we perform.
Why cant we always do this? I used to feel like using my eyes resulted in overlaid emotion, but
here it feels more like a part of the dance. It is so much easier to connect to people when you
look them in the eye.

June 2013: Written for the JUNTOS Blog after returning home from Mexico
In trying to figure out how to distill all of the feelings I had in Mexico down to words, I
read several of the previous blog posts and realized, with relief, that Im not alone. Each person,
in their own beautiful articulate way, described the initial frustration of attempting to use words
to describe a JUNTOS trip. And each found some sort of outlet, a way in which to frame their
experience that allowed the use of language.
I dont know what my strategy is yet, but here goes.
When I think about those two weeks in Mexico, I have a sort of bodily memory of
collective joy, both with my fellow JUNTOS peers, and with the incredible people that we had
the privilege of working with. I felt more connected, and invested, in my relationships with
others than I ever have before.
Before this trip, I had struggled for a long time to understand why I was dancing. I began
taking dance classes when I was five, and as much as I have always been certain I wanted to
pursue dance, a part of me never understood why. I never truly felt that I loved dance for the
sake of itself. In Mexico I began to realize that I dont love dance, I love what dance is capable
of. I love connecting with, and listening to, and being heard by, other humans. And dance is
simply the most effective way for me to do this. Dance holds incredible potential for meaningful
connection because movement is such a universal language. This is not a new revelation, I had
probably heard this wisdom from countless people prior to this trip, but I didnt really
understand until now. I want to learn to carry this forward. I want to figure out a way to
remember that dance is not the strive for perfection. Dance is not the mastery of technique.

Dance is not people onstage and people watching; a clear division between the artists and the
audience. Dance is communication, and an expression of the human condition that we all share.
On our last day in Mexico we taught a group of Ballet Folklorico students in Guanajuato. This
workshop felt like such a fitting culmination of everything that we had learned. The language
barrier no longer felt as important, and there was this incredible feeling of group support among
us. We met the students with enthusiasm and joy and they met us with intense focus and
curiosity. By the end of the workshop, we felt like one cohesive group. This was such a
powerfully clear and affirming experience. And it reminded me that the little things make a
difference. Five minutes spent giving a correction and affirming work well done. Two hours
spent with students who have an unreserved love of the art of movement. Two weeks spent
dancing with each other. It was all so short in the course of a lifetime; so small next to the huge
gulfs of misunderstanding that exist in the world, but it made a difference.
As I struggle to write about those two weeks, I want to narrow the time spent into one big
realization, but I think that the profundity of this experience is really the collection of little
moments. I realized how much our small actions make a huge impact on each others lives. Two
hours spent connecting and dancing created more change, and positive energy, than a lifetime of
perfecting the art of dance. Dance doesnt have to be perfected, it needs to be shared. Honing
and creating an artistic voice is an important use of time, but it cannot be done in isolation.
Dance is most rich and powerful when it is shared.
Small actions make a big difference when they come from a place of love. Because love
is the most powerful force of all, and dance is just love made visible.
Thank you for everything.

May 13th 2014: Written for the JUNTOS Website in Guatemala during my second trip
It has been an overwhelming and incredible two days. This is my second JUNTOS trip
and I feel that JUNTOS has taught me so much and has so much left to teach me. A part of this
experience that feels so incredibly powerful is the ability to facilitate collaboration and cultural
exchange. Today we rehearsed, taught a workshop, took a workshop, ate an amazing meal, and
were welcomed to Xela with open arms.
As we worked with each other in the studio, we found ways to collaborate and help one
another. It was truly a gift to watch us become more than we could ever be alone, together.
Teaching workshops always makes me nervous, but as we taught today I remembered the
incredible joy that comes with sharing dance. I remembered that teaching is not a solitary act, it
is collaborative. Taking the workshops a huge reminder of this as well. Being immersed in a
different culture reminds you that humanity is so much more than your single human experience.
This knowledge, of my smallness within the big picture, makes me feel both so much more
connected to the people around me, and more myself.
I am reminded that collaboration is not only helpful but necessary to us as artists and
humans.

May 14th 2014: Journal entry written in Xela Guatemala during my second JUNTOS trip
Today we performed at the hospital in Xela, taught two workshops, and took a belly
pop, and Tango workshop. The first workshop we taught was for middle school girls. It was
our second day with them and Brittany [one of my fellow travelers] finished teaching them a
combination that they are going to perform. It was amazing to see how quickly they assimilated
all of the information we gave them. They ran the dance without us for the first time and
completely knew what they were doing. So much enthusiasm and heart.
The performance at the hospital was intense. We performed in the childrens part of the
hospital and spoke with the kids and parents afterwards. It was an interesting experience because
I went in feeling that the performance was going to be very intense. It was, but there was this
need to bring joy and lightness into the room. I felt this unique mix of sadness, joy, and some
guilt too I think. Guilt that I couldnt understand what it would be like to be in that ward with a
sick child for days on end. Some of the kids were so little. Seemed so vulnerable. How do you
bring joy into a hospital? It smelled distinctly un-home like, and looked bleak, and felt cold. My
sadness at seeing the situation is nothing compared to the sadness of holding a sick child. My
job is to bring joy and feel the sadness later. I tried to talk to the quiet mothers; the ones who
hung back with their sleeping babies. Sara in a beautiful little pink sweater. Delirious eyes,
many blankets, and her mothers loving arms. And Luz, tiny and beautiful, sleeping with a smile
on her face. Her mom said that she watched us dance.

May 15th 2014: Journal entry written in Xela Guatemala during my second JUNTOS trip
Being in Zunil [a community near to Xela where we performed at an elementary school]
this morning was one of the most incredible dance experiences I have ever had. I think it was
something about the space, the sky, and the people. I felt like I was going to cry before we even
started. I generally have a hard time crying, and I have never teared up that quickly before.
It was the most Ive ever messed up in a performance, but thats never seemed so
insignificant. They watched us the way any human being wants and needs to be looked at: with
openness. What if we all met each other- open to the greatness inside.
Sharing is the most important part of dance. Trusting in the greatness you have to share.
Being vulnerable to your greatness and the greatness of others. They watched us like we were
other humans moving- not dancers or something they couldnt be or understand.