BOCA TUYA Philosophy
BOCA TUYA is a New York-based Cultural Movement Collective that believes in the transformative power of dance as a holistic, human, and socially conscious art form. Founded on the proliferation of dreams and rooted in Puerto Rican heritage, the organization values visibility, equity, and artistic excellence, ensuring that dancers can fully live in their art rather than chase survival.
// AT ITS CORE, BOCA TUYA SEEKS TO:
Center the dancer as an artist and individual –
Prioritizing wellbeing, economic stability, and creative fulfillment.
Fuse tradition, storytelling, and experimentation –
Blending cultural rhythms, surreal narratives, and immersive experiences.
Create accessible and socially conscious work –
Fostering connection, compassion, and dialogue through performance, education, and community engagement.
Encourage interdisciplinary exploration –
Integrating dance with media, architecture, fashion, science, and other fields to reflect the holistic human experience.
Champion visibility and cultural representation –
Particularly for Latinx/a/o artists, queer artists, and other historically underrepresented voices in the arts.
Photography by Grace Copeland - Santiago Villarreal
Dancers are doers.
Being put in a circumstance where our actions suddenly become limited and our thinking becomes limitless gives us the means to troubleshoot, reflect, and open critical conversations about the landscape we want to build. This way of thinking has consumed me as I'm sure it has likewise consumed many of you since early 2020. This sense of imagination, part survival tool and part portal opener, has become a mechanism for resilience that has gripped dancers around the world. Now is the time to put those dream worlds into action.
As both a director and choreographer my goals all center around a commitment to build the infrastructure for a sustainable life in dance for my company while using my voice to champion the upcoming generation of LatinX/a/o leaders more broadly. Living as a Queer Puertorriqueño myself, I use my work to explore the complexities of these identities while revealing injustices pertaining to the people who share similar experiences and upbringings. I do not want my people to be considered "underserved". We are not underserved, but under-resourced and under-heard. I hope to be part of the driving force that brings this fact to light.
As I look ahead to our upcoming 9th season, I am excited for the ways I already see these aims materializing. Through ongoing relationships, global collaborations, innovative commissions, teaching opportunities, and new friendships, I am excited to spearhead our efforts to celebrate contemporary dance throughout New York and beyond.
A life in the arts has never been a solo act. I am deeply honored and humbled to hold this place of responsibility and recognize that those of us in leadership only have that privilege thanks to the people in our community who have helped us along the way and continue to believe in our work. If you are reading this, I count you among those whose curiosity, optimism, and love of dance have been integral in pushing Boca Tuya forward. Involving more perspectives in our work allows more people to find entry points into dance.
I live to give dancers and audiences a platform to dream without boundaries.
Thank you for standing with me to make this vision come true.
— Omar Román de Jesús
Photography by Grace Copeland - Santiago Villarreal
Dancers are doers.
Being put in a circumstance where our actions suddenly become limited and our thinking becomes limitless gives us the means to troubleshoot, reflect, and open critical conversations about the landscape we want to build. This way of thinking has consumed me as I'm sure it has likewise consumed many of you since early 2020. This sense of imagination, part survival tool and part portal opener, has become a mechanism for resilience that has gripped dancers around the world. Now is the time to put those dream worlds into action.
As both a director and choreographer my goals all center around a commitment to build the infrastructure for a sustainable life in dance for my company while using my voice to champion the upcoming generation of LatinX/a/o leaders more broadly. Living as a Queer Puertorriqueño myself, I use my work to explore the complexities of these identities while revealing injustices pertaining to the people who share similar experiences and upbringings. I do not want my people to be considered "underserved". We are not underserved, but under-resourced and under-heard. I hope to be part of the driving force that brings this fact to light.
As I look ahead to our upcoming 9th season, I am excited for the ways I already see these aims materializing. Through ongoing relationships, global collaborations, innovative commissions, teaching opportunities, and new friendships, I am excited to spearhead our efforts to celebrate contemporary dance throughout New York and beyond.
A life in the arts has never been a solo act. I am deeply honored and humbled to hold this place of responsibility and recognize that those of us in leadership only have that privilege thanks to the people in our community who have helped us along the way and continue to believe in our work. If you are reading this, I count you among those whose curiosity, optimism, and love of dance have been integral in pushing Boca Tuya forward. Involving more perspectives in our work allows more people to find entry points into dance.
I live to give dancers and audiences a platform to dream without boundaries.
Thank you for standing with me to make this vision come true.
— Omar Román de Jesús
BOCA TUYA Philosophy
BOCA TUYA is a New York-based Cultural Movement Collective that believes in the transformative power of dance as a holistic, human, and socially conscious art form. Founded on the proliferation of dreams and rooted in Puerto Rican heritage, the organization values visibility, equity, and artistic excellence, ensuring that dancers can fully live in their art rather than chase survival.
// AT ITS CORE, BOCA TUYA SEEKS TO:
Center the dancer as an artist and individual –
Prioritizing wellbeing, economic stability, and creative fulfillment.
Fuse tradition, storytelling, and experimentation –
Blending cultural rhythms, surreal narratives, and immersive experiences.
Create accessible and socially conscious work –
Fostering connection, compassion, and dialogue through performance, education, and community engagement.
Encourage interdisciplinary exploration –
Integrating dance with media, architecture, fashion, science, and other fields to reflect the holistic human experience.
Champion visibility and cultural representation –
Particularly for Latinx/a/o artists, queer artists, and other historically underrepresented voices in the arts.