Project 1 – Heritage Dance Project: IberoLatinXpression Celebrating Culture, Community & Wellbeing through Dance

The Heritage Dance Project is a creative and healing space that combines traditional dance, costume-making, and community support. Our group, IberoLatinXpression, helps people connect, express themselves, and improve their mental and physical health through dance.

Founded in 2020 by ILA-WALES CIC (Iberians & Latin Americans in Wales), our main goal is to keep the rich and diverse dance traditions of Iberian and Latin American cultures alive – with roots in Indigenous, Afro-Latin, Spanish and Portuguese music, rhythms, and dress.

What We Do

• We teach and share heritage dances from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.
• We design and sew our own traditional costumes.
• We perform at festivals, community events, and cultural celebrations.
• We support each other, grow in confidence, and stay active and healthy.
• We bring people together through movement, culture, and friendship.

Our Journey

Since we started in 2020, we’ve been part of many exciting events:

• 2020 – Pilot project funded by The Oakdale Trust. We danced in parks, on beaches, and on Zoom during lockdown. Dance classes with TuBaile (Colombia) and Flamenco lessons with Magdalena Mannio.
• 2021 – Comic Relief supported our first big show at the Grand Multicultural Hub Theatre.
• 2022 – Performed at Refugee Week (Volcano Theatre), Dance Days (Swansea University), Victor Jara Festival, and more. Started working with Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.
• 2023 – New dances from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Spain. Shows at Swansea Quadrant, the Waterfront Museum, and Glynn Vivian Gallery. Tango dancers from Argentina and Uruguay joined us.
• 2024 – Funding from Welsh Government (Culture Grant) helped us buy a sewing machine and materials. We held a trilingual festival (Spanish, English & Welsh), and performed at Volunteer Week, Refugee Week, and Swansea Festival.
• 2025 – Supported by Race Council Cymru with free rehearsal space. We performed at Killay Culture Day, Admiral Insurance (Cardiff), Dance Days, and the Festival of Communities. We’re now preparing new dances from Colombia, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Venezuela for a fundraising event in September.

Who Leads the Group

Our group is led by Ruth Davies and Patricia Emma Helena Jones (Rodríguez-Martínez). They manage the funding, spaces, guest artists, safety, transport refunds, and refreshments. Members also help create dances, make costumes, and organise events.

Heritage Dance Rehearsals

IberoLatinXpression Dance Rehearsal by Swansea Beach, August 2025

Iberolatinoamerican Parties

Presentations:

Sponsors