Where Are They Now: Gretel Sanchez Llabre

To dance is to breathe

Gretel’s story with belly dancing started in 2003 when she met Tiffany ‘Hanan’ Madera, someone who would become her mentor and who would guide her through the world of dance, described by Gretel as “a hobby that little by little became all my life” [un hobby que poco a poco se convirtió en toda mi vida.] 

This ever-growing hobby operated as an increasingly captivating force in her life, one that served as a means of self-discovery and self-awareness, made possible through the platform to express and understand one’s feeling that dance offered Gretel. As she recounts, “dance has opened horizons for me” [la danza me ha abierto horizontes.] 

In addition to a journey of introspection, the world of belly dancing also provided her with the chance to engage with a community of women. One made for and by women and characterized by the friendship of those who make it. For Gretel, the most beautiful aspect of such womanhood within dance is created through an incredibly multicultural environment that comes out of the shared experience of the uniquely individual practices of women. Dance is, then, a never-ending practice that has shaped Gretel’s experience with femininity and with herself. 

Gretel’s beautiful journey began with Havana Habibi, which she describes as an experiment that grew larger than life. According to her Havana Habibi, “is everything. It is a family” [lo es todo. Es una familia.] A family that has grown beyond its borders and continues to do so. It continues to serve as a bridge that strengthens, and is strengthened by, the shared experiences of women.