ABSTRACT
The radical pedagogy of La Pocha Nostra emerged locally in the Mexico-US borders, but, during the last ten years, Pocha has developed and nurtured several artistic, collaborative networks. Basic warm-up and stretching exercises serve the purpose of preparing the body for the rigorous physical workshop ahead, and the people perceptual exercises are intended to help workshop participants to re-engage with their bodies and develop a strong sense of community, collaboration, and site awareness. It also contains formats for non-confrontational discussion that the people have found useful in dealing with cultural and institutional divides and tensions that emerge out of racial, gender, social, or generational difference. “The infamous Pocha Nostra ‘jam sessions’” describes the Pocha performance sessions that will become the bulk of the creative sessions and put all the previous exercises into practice.
