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community. Another thing that is achieved is that youth who
have dropped out of school in order to work, study again,
receiving all the required support and motivation.
The company D1 is the axis of development and social
transformation. Besides being a private dance school,
it is the main funding source for the program and a great
opportunity for young graduates to get a job.
D1 began operating as a pilot project involving 40 youth and
the duration was supposed to be a month. Now, there are
13,000 people with four or five years of preparation, along
with a school and a professional dance company.
The motivation she inherited from her father made Vania
take her suitcases and savings with enthusiasm and courage
to fly to New York looking for teachers for the children and
youth from Ventanilla. This first step aroused the interest of
many private companies, which later turned into sponsors –
before, they had to go to schools to make their presentations
in order to get the resources they required to finance the
project.
Undoubtedly, the initial support received from a multinational
company (Repsol) was very important. Repsol has been with
D1 right from the beginning, as is Coca Cola now. Through
D1, the idea is to include the best dancers in each category
in the cast in order to create shows that can be exported to
the world, with Peruvian talent.
Vania’s social sensitivity began when she was a child, when
she already felt a great powerlessness due to the economic
and social differences and all kinds of other disparities that
created a gap between Peruvians. To Vania Masias, founder
and Executive Director of the Cultural Association D1, it is
possible to change the country and make it a space with
more opportunities. She believes and knows about young
people’s huge potential to transform our country.