LA MILPA: REFUGIO DE ARTE
After twenty-six years of dedication, DANCE MONKS (1999–present) is in the planning phase of building a home for its local programs and international residencies. La Milpa: Refugio de Arte, opening in 2026, will be located in the farming village of Estancia de Canal in Guanajuato, Mexico—a land that sings of milpas, Otomi medicine, and ancestral memory.
In a world in need of places to gather, repair, and reimagine relationships across borders, La Milpa will offer a refuge to reconnect with our more-than-human selves, one another, and the land. As a bicultural dance company, DANCE MONKS’ work grows from community-responsive listening. After more than two decades of collaboration—and raised on both sides of la frontera—Founders, Rodrigo Esteva and Mirah Moriarty, bring a unique perspective on creating bridges of care through interdisciplinary practice.
This new space will host DANCE MONKS’ programs, including:
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NATURE AND ARTS programming for children
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Local and international artist residencies, performances, workshops, and cultural exchange
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A multilingual family library with books in Indigenous languages (Mam, Zapoteco, Mixteco, Nahuatl, Mayan, Otomí, Purépecha), Spanish, and English
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A milpa, honoring an ancient Mexican agricultural-relational system
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Healing retreats, trainings, and movement workshops through their ongoing APAPACHO initiative
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Walking paths, areas for meditation, and ecological camping
La Milpa will be a place of creative purpose, cultural revitalization, and care—a space to uplift voices that have not traditionally been heard.
LOCATION: Situated on over 43 acres of mountain terrain full of mesquite trees, wild flora, stones and cactus in Estancia de Canal, Guanajuato, Mexico
San Miguel de Allende (15 minutes) | Queretero Airport (75 minutes) | Mexico City Airport (3.5 hours)
