About L.A. Cultural Exchange

THE L.A. CULTURAL EXCHANGE STORY

I’m Lisa Banconi, the founder of the L.A. Cultural Exchange dance program. I originally created the only arts-focused high school exchange program designed to help young performing and visual artists not only train with the top professionals in their field, but also live in Los Angeles while being well cared for. It was the only arts-focused high school exchange program in the United States and the only one to accept U.S. “exchange students.” We began as an exchange program but later added Summer Dance in L.A. programs to give dancers the L.A. experience who otherwise could not commit to a semester or academic-year exchange.

From Student Exchanges to Dance in L.A.

Then Covid happened. We chose not to restart our high school exchange programs because the cost of tuition had risen beyond the reach of most students. This went against the original idea of student exchanges – making the world accessible to all. So we took what we love – dance – and created the Dance in L.A. program for dancers 18+, along with a dedicated dancer dorm. This new version of the program keeps the same love, care, training, and fun that defined our original programs.

OUR TEAM

THE Gentle LadIES – Privates and Workshops

The L.A. Cultural Exchange program works with a small group of trusted professionals from the L.A. dance community who help guide dancers during their time in Los Angeles.