Magda Gibelli

“When I do a grand jeté, I feel free. Maricarmen’s academy is not like others, here many boys and girls enter, even if they don’t have enough to pay, like my sister and me, it doesn’t matter if they have any physical condition or if they are small, we are all accepted. When I grow up I want to open spaces like this one to give opportunities to girls like us”. Said Keith Chávez Ruiz, 12 years old. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli

July’s featured photographer of the month is Magda Gibelli 

Visual journalist with experience as a reporter, correspondent, and photographer. Her work has been published in various international media outlets, including The Guardian, The Times, El Salto, Open Democracy, and Ria Novosti (Sputnik).

Throughout her career, has focused on covering social, environmental, and migration issues with a special interest in developing proposals that address the needs of vulnerable populations. 

Currently, Magda is developing projects in Latin America and Europe, where she has gained extensive knowledge of the realities and cultures of both continents.

Magda holds a degree in Social Communication with a specialization in Audiovisual Communication (2005-2010) and has trained in documentary photography at the Roberto Mata School.

Ballet Without Barriers

“The prototype of a classical ballet dancer usually does not fit the characteristic physique of Peruvians: neck, trunk, arms commonly short, short stature… that should not be a stigma or a barrier.”

This is how Maria del Carmen Silva, a retired professional dancer, explains why she decided to create a ballet school for those girls whose families could not afford a ballet class. She wants to break with ballet stereotypes and make it inclusive regardless the money or the body building.

“The perfect body or the best costumes, for me are not important, in my class those who have discipline stand out,” Silva explains.

She wanted to avoid choosing as per their abilities, as selecting would mean leaving some of them behind. So she decided to not to audition, everybody was welcome to her classes. The effect of this move was moving for her. She received letters of gratitude.

Ballet, as dancer Maricarmen explains, is an elitist discipline with marked traces of racism and gender stereotypes. For this reason, she assures that her goal is to show her students that with effort and organization they can break down barriers to achieve whatever they want in life. Currently, 13 girls who live in low-income areas of Lima receive free classes at Maricarmen school. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli
Extensive stairs leading to the top of the hill, are the stage from which young girls between 12 and 20 years old, approach the art through ballet, with the aspiration of becoming professional dancers. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli
“The trips are a great motivation for the girls. They have won national competitions and have been able to compete in international competitions and have won as well,” explained the teacher. Maricamen’s ballet has been able to take its dancers to Panama, Brazil and United State. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli
Ballet teacher María del Carmen Silva assures that her goal is to reach the lives of her students through discipline and art, as a way to empower them and prepare them to overcome obstacles in the future. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli
“You have to repair yourself without rest, because Miss Maricarmen is strict, but she makes you feel that your effort is worth it,” says Ashley, a Venezuelan girl who has been in Peru for five years and also receives free ballet lessons. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli
“The prototype of a classical ballet dancer usually does not fit the characteristic physique of Peruvians: neck, trunk, arms commonly short, short stature… that should not be a stigma or a barrier.” This is how Maria del Carmen Silva, a retired professional dancer, explains why she decided to create a ballet school for those girls whose families could not afford a ballet class. She wants to break with ballet stereotypes and make it inclusive regardless the money or the body building. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli
Keith and Nicole Chavez attend ballet classes three times a week and even more when they rehearse for performance. She and her sister start rehearsing at 6 pm and finish after 9 pm. It takes them 1 to 2 hours to return home and the next day they get up at 5 a.m. to go to school. Elcira Ruiz, mother of Keith and Nicole, says that through ballet her daughters have become more disciplined. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli
“Thank you for this space, where I can be myself, I don’t have to pretend, my self-esteem is growing. I accept myself as I am” said Keith Chávez Ruiz, 12, one of 13 girls currently receiving free tuition. From the series, Ballet Without Barriers ©Magda Gibelli

To see more of Magda’s projects, here

La fotografa del mes de julio es Magda Gibelli

Periodista visual con experiencia como reportera, corresponsal y fotógrafa. Su trabajo ha sido publicado en diversos medios internacionales, incluyendo The Guardian, The Times, El Salto, Open Democracy y Ria Novosti (Sputnik).

Durante su carrera, Magda se ha interesado por cubrir temas sociales, ambientales y migratorios. Ha participado en proyectos colaborativos, entre ellos, investigaciones periodísticas sobre la liberación de personas que estuvieron detenidas en Guantánamo y mujeres que dieron a luz durante la pandemia.

Actualmente, Magda desarrolla proyectos en América Latina y Europa, sobre la realidad y la cultura de ambos continentes. Su pasión por contar historias a través de la imagen y la palabra la ha llevado a seguir explorando nuevas formas de expresión visual y narrativa.

Magda es licenciada en Comunicación Social Mención Audiovisual (2005-2010) y ha realizado formaciones en fotografía documental con la escuela Roberto Mata.

Ballet sin barreras

El ballet de Maricarmen en Lima, Perú, se distingue por su espíritu inclusivo. La pasión y la disciplina, afirma su fundadora, la bailarina profesional María del Carmen Silva, son lo fundamental, y no las características físicas o el mejor vestuario, como suele suceder en esta disciplina.

En su aula, más de diez jóvenes provenientes de zonas de bajos recursos económicos de Lima, con
edades comprendidas entre los 12 y 20 años, están becadas. La mayoría reside en el barrio
San Genaro, un lugar a menudo asociado con la delincuencia y la violencia, donde sus prácticas
cobran vida en escaleras serpenteantes y empinadas.

María del Carmen anima a sus alumnas a confiar en que, mediante la organización y la
perseverancia, pueden alcanzar cualquier meta que se propongan. Para financiar gastos de vestuario y viajes a competencias en Estados Unidos, Brasil y Panamá realizan diversas actividades, como el reciclaje de plástico, la venta de alimentos y la comercialización de ropa usada. Gracias a su esfuerzo, las integrantes del ballet de Maricarmen han obtenido logros destacables en dichos certámenes. En la clase, según testimonios de las jóvenes, no solo se aprenden pasos de ballet, sino que también se fomenta la aceptación personal y la confianza en las propias capacidades.

Para ver mas de los trabajos de Magda, aqui