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| directory of teaching artists: NORMA PINTAR |
| Born and raised in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Norma
Pintar started to dance at the age of 5. A career spanning 35 years allows her to share the stories, rhythm, movements, costumes and music of Mexican traditional culture internationally. Twelve years ago, Pintar moved to Boise, Idaho. Since then, she has been active in the Latino community as one of the founders of the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho, the founder and artistic director of the Hispanic Folkloric, and the Traditional Mexican Dancers groups.
Pintar is widely recognized for the quality of her performances, teaching, and efforts to maintain her cultural traditions in Idaho. For the past ten years, she has participated in programs and events of the Idaho Commission on the Arts’ Folk & Traditional Arts and Arts Education programs. A new American Citizen, Norma Pintar proudly shares her native culture with communities in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Her dedication and involvement in local issues earn her a relevant place in her community, state, and region. Describe a transformative process that has occurred in your own practice as an artist or in a past residency as a teaching artist. In the dance field, it is very hard to find boys dancing in performances; especially in front of classmates or parents. At the beginning of one of my residencies, 35 6th graders, boys and girls, were very reluctant participants in the beginning. I knew I could handle it with patience and I was determined to give them confidence in their abilities to dance. The day of the assembly and public performance, they did great job! Nobody quit. It was challenging for me, but the transformation was incredible. Another experience I had after one of my public solo performances was when a woman from Mexico approached me with tears in her eyes, saying that she was very excited because I reminded her of old memories with the music, dances and costumes I use in traditional Mexican dancing. She was so thankful to me and to the school for bringing these great opportunities. She appreciated the fact that in our schools our children are given the opportunity to admire different cultures outside the United Sates. I will never forget these moments. When have you been able to recognize learning taking place? In a residency it’s easy for me to see by the 3rd day that students understand what they are doing and learning - they are enjoying themselves and feel comfortable dancing. By this time they are familiar with the music, the number of steps, the movements, the name of the songs, the location on the map of Mexico where the dances and songs are from, and they are able to dance without my help! What excites your imagination and in turn how does your work excite imagination for your audience? The goal of preparing for the performance excites me. I visualize the students already dressed in their costumes, excited and ready to dance. The performance itself always moves me a lot - to see the hard work and effort of every student as well as parents collaborating with the costumes, and everyone contributing to the success of their children. When I also perform in the assembly, I do my best and enjoy my dances. I hope to transmit to the public my feelings of enjoyment; I always like to leave nice memories for the new generations. What characteristics mark a successful collaboration for you? When the staff of the school, the parents, and others involved in the residency trust my leadership and direction, when they allow me to direct my project and respect my decisions and opinions. Communication is the main key of a successful residency. How do you foster creativity, both in your own work and as a teaching artist? I take at least one dance workshop in Mexico every other year; I read, research and practice what I have learned. I almost never improvise or invent stories. I try to transmit accurate information and never break real traditional roots of the Mexican culture. The traditional aspect of my performance and my teaching is what drives me creatively; when I perform something that has been passed down for generations, it is as if I become one with all the others who have performed the same dance in the past. Three key understandings in this discipline are:
Three Idaho Humanities Content Standards that correlate
with the core concepts identified above:
Folkloric dance, polkas, Jarabe, Zapateado (tap one’s feet), Counts of 8, 16, 24, and 32 steps, warm up, stretch, turn, tap, hill, tip toe, forward, backward, holding hands, behind, in front of partner, hands on waist, hands in the back, smile, shoulders back, chin up, look at the corner, bow. List subject areas outside of the fine arts that relate to potential residency work – i.e. possible connections to the curriculum might include: History Geography Music Mathematics References:
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 Discipline: Dance Phone: (208) 375-1672, (208) 484-1482 Email: Npintar@aol.com Website: na Special Populations I work with: All age groups, fluent in English and Spanish.  ICA Artists by Disciplines Music Ken Harris Dance Wendy de la Harpe Joy Esplin LiAnne Hunt Norma Pintar Rachel Swenson Theater/Storytelling Joy Steiner Teresa Clark Language Arts Malia Collins Judy Sobeloff Visual Arts Deana Attebery Tom Bennick Judith Brand Sue Rooke Lizette Fife Helen Grainger Wilson Terrie Kralik Jeanne Leffingwell Benjamin Love Linda Wolfe Video/Media Arts Peppershock Media |
 Phone: 208/334-2119 or 800/278-3863 Fax: 208/334-2488 Mailing address: P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0008 Street address: 2410 North Old Penitentiary Rd., Boise, ID 83712 |