News

WhatsApp Image 2020-10-19 at 11.21.01 PM

WhatsApp Image 2020-10-19 at 11.21.01 PM (1)

Hello coqui family let’s help to make Rebeca’s dream come true..🙏

My name is Rebeca Almeda Nieves, I live in Caguas, Puerto Rico. From a very young age I was fascinated with drawing and painting. Since 7th grade I did homeschooling which gave me a lot of time to practice and perfect my work focusing in fine arts. I also play the oboe since I am seven years old at the Escuela Libre de Música in Caguas, PR. Coursing my 11th grade I started to put together my art portfolio to continue my studies in the United States. I was accepted at four art universities, one of these, Columbia College Chicago offered me a $20,000 scholarship for each year. The university’s location makes the house very expensive which would create for me a huge debt by the time I finish. Thanks to my art work I’ve been able to rise money but I still need a lot more. Currently, I am coursing my first year of digital animation, and my dream is to work creating special effects for movies. I enjoy very much creating a world that couldn’t be capture by a camera. This semester I applied for a scholarship where an art work will be selected for a postal company, this scholarship is valued in $10,000, the participants with more votes will be selected to the finals. Winning this award will be of great economic help for my future as an artist.

👋 Meet Adriana Cruz, one of the puertorican dancers at Bailar al Sol 2020 virtual.

My name is Adriana Nicole Cruz Castro and I was born on December 5, 2003 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. I’m actually 16 and coursing my senior year. I first started dancing when I was 3 years old in a small ballet academy called Ballet Danza. Couple years later I moved to another academy in Cidra, Puerto Rico where I learned more ballet and hip hop. When I was 11 years old I started taking contemporary, flamenco, ballet, physical training, yoga and Jazz in Coda21. A year later I got accepted in the Julian E Blanco a school specialized in ballet. I’m still studying there today’s day. I also took a few classes at Broadway Dance Center on summer. Then I started dancing in Ballet Concierto where I took ballet, contemporary and Jazz and I stayed for two years until I moved to Waldo’s School of Performing Arts. I’ve been taking ballet, hip hop, modern, partnering, jazz, tap, singing lessons, theatre and musical theatre in general. I’m still dancing there and I wanna keep expanding my knowledge as a dancer and person and work with artists on a international level.
Andrea Kramer Willy Laury Bailar al Sol Montclair State University
Ballet Forte at Wings Conservatory
#coquicharities #supports #arts

Meet Alexis Cruz, one of the puertorrican dancers at Bailar al Sol 2020.

Alexis Emmanuel Cruz Castro has been a male dance student since he was 9 years old. In 2014, he received a scholarship in Compañía de Danza 21 where he stayed until the summer of 2016. With CoDa21, he reached Level III in classical ballet, additionally he took Boys Class, Pas de Deux, Contemporary Dance and Jazz. On 2016, Alexis was accepted at Julián E. Blanco High School focused on ballet. At the same time, he received a full scholarship on Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico. In 2018, Alexis was accepted into Waldo’s School for the Performing Arts, where he received lessons in Classical Ballet, Modern Dance, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Broadway Jazz, Theatre, Tap and Singing. In 2019, González selected Alexis to participate in the Bailar al Sol cultural exchange with Ballet Forte (New Jersey). After he got graduated from Julián E. Blanco, Ballet Forte offered Alexis a full year of training through a sponsorship by Coquí Charities Foundation. During 2019, he benefitted from many new experiences, such as college auditions, competitions and dance festivals. Then in 2020, he competed at the YAGP in Boston, where he placed 3rd in the Senior Men’s contemporary an was accepted to Montclair State University to pursue a BFA in dance.

We encourage you to visit our webpage, link in bio and consider a donation towards one of our many special projects.
Together we can make a difference!
Andrea Kramer Bailar al Sol Willy Laury Montclair State University Ballet Forte at Wings Conservatory #coquicharities #support #dance

Coquí Charities had the great honor to witness the release of two sea turtles, Kai and Chely.

Two sea turtles were released today on the coast of Arecibo after being healed and rehabilitated at the Manatee Conservation Center of the Caribbean, Universidad Interamericana, Bayamón Campus.

Both endangered species, Chelonia Midas (peje blanco) and Eretmochelys imbricada (Carey), have a gps located on their shells to monitor their post-rehabilitation motions, location and their swim abilities, all this through ARGOS satellite from a special computer at the University.

We encourage you to support the Manatee Conservation Center, so they can keep doing this amazing work, giving treatment and care to manatees, sea turtles, pelicans, among other birds.

You can do it through ATH mobile, pay a business under CentroDeManaties, or PayPal at http://manatipr.org/donativos/

Under the authority of PRDNER #2019-EPE-020 Endangered Species Scientific Permit
📷Hilda Munoz

Elegel Group and Coquí Charities are working on Las50

Elegel Group and Coquí Charities are working on Las50, a community transformation project. LAS50 support great artists that use urban contemporary art and murals, primarily to transform the street and drive businesses of Calle Loiza, Condado and beyond. So far there are 14 completed murals and one in progress. You can see the murals here at www.las50.com. We encourage you to visit our webpage, www.coquicharities.org link and consider a donation. Your support will help local artists and stimulate local businesses. 📷Hilda Muñoz Aponte

This is the story of Alexis E. Cruz

Andrea Kramer, Ballet Mistress from New Jersey, met Alexis E. Cruz Castro during the “Bailar al Sol” project in Puerto Rico. She saw a big potential and great talent in him. Kramer wanted to keep working with him at her School at Ballet Forté in New Jersey. Working together with Kramer, Coqui Charities found a place where he could stay for free and got Alexis a scholarship so he could take private lessons with Andrea at Forte Academy. He was sponsored by Coquí for 7 months until COVID-19 changed our lives. Nonetheless, Kramer keeps working with him online. During his time there he had a few obstacles, a different country, and a different language but that did not stop him. Coquí kept supporting him through the year. Alexis auditioned for a number to various art schools and got accepted into all of them. However, he ultimately decided to attend Montclair University. “Coquí Charities, I am very grateful for giving me this opportunity, for your financial support through the year, Ballet Forte and other projects I’ve been part of. I have grown as a dancer, as a person, and my auditions experiences, a year of growing beyond my own expectations. Andrea was my mentor for almost a whole year, if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t grow as a dancer, and as a person. Show opened new doors for me, she talked to me about the Youth American Grand Prix, she motivated me to enroll and get ready to compete, trusting me since the beginning. It was there when I noticed my growth as a dancer and a person”. –Alexis Cruz We encourage you to visit our webpage, www.coquicharities.org and consider a donation towards one of our many special projects. Together we can make a difference! 📷 Visual Arts Masters

Coquí Charities is committed to Puerto Rico’s wild and sea life.

Dr. Tony Mignucci received us at the Manatee Conservation Center where we witnessed the incredible work they do and the result of years of effort and care for these manatees and other species in danger. The Center is known for taking care of manatees, they receive different types of birds on a daily basis. From pelicans, falcones, owls, and querequequé, unfortunately they arrive at the center with health problems such as dehydration and hypoglycemia. Currently, they host five manatees, four turtles, together with the birds mentioned above. The daily care for these animals is very strict and detailed, but you could see the respect and love they recieve. Since 2009 they have partnered with Interamericana University of Bayamón and the Caribbean Stranding Network, the place takes care of sea life and wildlife. They count with veterinary clinic dedicated 100% to wildlife. Dr. Lesly J. Cabrias who is in charge of the clinic, talked about all the species that are under their care. The Manatee Conservation Center works as a research and rehabilitation center with a community component, where students as volunteers take with them an invaluable experience for their professional future. Because of the COVID-19, they are not receiving visits, or volunteers. Together we can help them keep the center open, their work is vital for the wild and sea life of Puerto Rico. Please support the Manatee Conservation Center, you can do it through ATH mobile, pay a business under CentroDeManaties, or PayPal http://manatipr.org/donativos/ or though our website www.coquicharities.org. We at Coquí Charities are very proud for supporting this center. Thanks to Dr. Mignucci Dr. Cabrias and the volunteers for their kindness and show us all the great work they have been doing. Photography

Hilda Muñoz Aponte