Angeles D1 is not just a dance school; it is a revolutionary project that seeks to transform lives. Its founder, Vania Masias, a dancer and business administrator with a successful career in Europe, never imagined that a chance encounter with young people doing acrobatics at a traffic light would change her course. Inspired by that moment, she decided to create a pilot that would offer these teenagers an opportunity to change the course of their lives through art.

In 2005, that dream became a reality with the creation of Angeles D1, a project that uses dance and expressive arts as tools for personal development and social transformation of at-risk youth. What began as a small venture has evolved into a person-centered educational methodology, pioneering in its approach. "Dance empowers, it transforms. I experienced it firsthand as I saw how these young people changed simply by having a tool that allowed them to express themselves and discover their own potential," says the founder.

D1's success has not only been on stage, but also in creating an educational model that has caught the attention of experts in neuroscience and education.

"When I decided to commit to this project, it wasn't simply to create a social program and then retire. No, I gave it all up, convinced that if we provided a space for visibility, participants could discover their worth, both individually and collectively. I firmly believed that, if we gave them the opportunity, they could be who they wanted to be. And what happened was extraordinary: they succeeded.

Our approach at D1 is based on a methodology that is divided into three stages: the "self", the "other" and the "context". Although today it is known as the Triple Focus, at the time it was an experimental process, which evolved through trial and error. Thus, we began with workshops on emotional intelligence, improvisation, dance, theater, and others. The first generation of participants even joked that they were "guinea pigs". But the amazing thing was to see how deeply these tools began to sink into them.

From those first experiences, we have developed a solid methodology, which we now transfer to the State to apply in educational programs of tutoring, art and culture. We seek for young people to recognize their identity and the value of their roots. This helps them to set achievable goals, reaffirm their ability, and, ultimately, change the perception they have long had of themselves.

The impact has been profound. There are young people who, having grown up in disadvantaged environments, are today graduating from prestigious universities and leading in disciplines such as breakdancing worldwide. Each story reflects a change in mentality and the transformation that is possible when we show them that they can, when all their lives they have been told otherwise.

D1 not only fosters self-esteem, but also the belief in the unlimited possibilities they have, demonstrating that, with the right tools, they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Art can not only change an individual's life, but it can transform entire communities," says the founder.

Throughout all these years, Repsol has been our constant partner. There has been no other brand that has been by our side for so long, from the beginning in Ventanilla, until now, supporting projects as important as "Espacios Culturales D1" and "Ritmo en Tu Cole". They believed in me when I was just starting out, and together we have achieved something truly special.

This journey has been proof of what can be achieved when you dare to dream big and find those who believe in those dreams.



What started with a group of young people in the street, today is a school, a production company and a social hub: Angeles D1, which not only trains dancers, but leaders of social change.