Workshops
In the afternoons (from Monday to Thursday), after lunch, you will participate in different workshops. Some of them are organized in small villages around Oaxaca City, others are organized on campus.
Workshop 1: Black pottery
Black pottery, first developed nearly 7000 years ago, has grown into a sophisticated and exquisite art form produced by the artisans in Oaxaca. A 'glazeless' type of pottery is produced by using pure, fine and smooth red clay as raw materials, shaped skilfully by hand into graceful forms. 
A series of specialized techniques including drying, hand polishing, carving and finally a special sintering process produces pottery with a lustre like that of metal. When tapped, it often produces a sound similar of that from a chime stone.
Pottery has been a highly sophisticated art form in Oaxaca since pre-Hispanic times.
This workshop provides you with the opportunity to learn about and create this ancient Mexican art form. You will make your own pieces based upon the traditional green-glazed pottery from the village of San Bartolo while learning first-hand about the lifestyle of local artisans.
Workshop 2: Salsa
The dance commonly referred to as “salsa” originated in Cuba, and has been influenced by music, people and cultures from most of Latin America and even some of Western Europe. Over time it has developed as a unique dance characterized by side to side movement, impressive spin moves and fast rhythms.
Salsa dancing is made up of six step combinations preformed over eight beat rhythms, where beats four and eight are not stepped but act as very slight pauses. The most common step in salsa is called "base", or basic in Spanish, and begins from "closed position" with the man taking a step forward with his left foot (beat one), lifting and then returning to the ground without forward movement his right foot (this is known as a "tap" and is beat two), then a step back past his right foot with his left foot (three), a step back with his right foot (five), a tap with his left foot, six, and a returned to closed position with his right foot (seven).
The woman starts with a step back on beat one so that her feet always remain opposite to the man's. Salsa dancing is composed of a series of turns and cross-over steps that can be chosen at random by the man, making step five the most important step in the base, since it is the step in which he initiates his move. The most basic example is that on turn five, the man might raise his right arm and his partner's left arm, and spin her to the right and back around while continuing to move his feet and end on beat seven.
In the salsa workshop (organized on campus), you will enjoy and practice various dance steps which will give you the opportunity to show off your friends on weekends in dance bars in the center of Oaxaca.
Workshop 3: Oaxacan Cuisine
The Oaxacan cuisine is one of the most complete in the whole country. Its wide variety of richness, imagination and complexity makes visitors curious to try the full range of exquisite foods. A very traditional dish is a sauce called Mole Oaxaqueño, chiles rellenos (peppers filled with grounded meat), quesillo (string cheese), tlayudas (Oaxaca tortilla “pizza”), tamales (corn dough), ice cream (nieves), fresh fruit drinks, long strips of lean, flat steak (tasajo), regional soups (caldo de guías) and of course, the exotic grasshoppers.
The regional sweets (dulces regionales) come in a wide variety. The coffee is of exceptional quality and competes at a world class level. Also noteworthy is Oaxacan pure chocolate. You must try a hot cup of this magic potion with the exquisite egg yolk bread. Among the typical drinks is the mezcal, an ancient drink considered a gift from the gods. The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl word ‘Mexcalmetl', which means ‘agave'. Nowadays, the common word used in Mexico to name this agave is maguey.
Workshop 4: Optional. Once finished the three first workshops, students will have the opportunity to decide whether or not they want another workshop. Most students want to visit the city (and its marvellous museums and monuments) on their own, which is the reason we left this week without any workshop. Prices of this extra workshop will be agreed on, depending on the number of inscriptions.
