EMMA D.

The Empowerment of Women
Through an original piece of creativity (written, performance, or visual), explore ways to showcase how a Basque woman in your life influenced you and shaped your Basque identity.

My Inspiration

I drew inspiration from the women in my family because my mom, or “Ama,” and grandmother have truly helped shape my Basque identity, but my mom has especially inspired my love of dancing. My mom danced for over 30 years and has always been a great influence on my sisters and I in increasing our appreciation for our culture and our love of dancing. I have been dancing since I was 4 years old and for the past seven years have been in the eldest dance group called Gauden Bat, which translates to “We Are One.” In recent years I also began teaching kids ages 7-12 traditional Basque dances here in Chino, CA, just like my mom did for many years while I was growing up. Her dance style, confidence, and pride in her culture has really been the biggest inspiration in my life, and as I have gotten older, I’ve grown to appreciate it even more. She has truly made me the young woman I am today and has encouraged me to empower other young girls of future generations.