I am humbled and astounded by the simplicity within movement and it's ability to unite people around their humanity. Movement is truly as innate to the human body as breathing. The intrinsic beauty of dance and its positive impact on individuals and communities is what has continued to inspire my own dance practice and career.
As a professional dancer, it is my passion to share with others the transformative abilities of dance as a unifying force. In 2019, I joined Full Radius Dance, which is a physically-integrated dance company that employs disabled and non-disabled dancers. As a performing artist with Full Radius, I have been able to share movement with audience members of all ages and backgrounds, both locally and nationally. Through the company’s compelling choreography, innovative partnering style, and representation of diverse bodies on stage, Full Radius disrupts people’s ideas of what dance “should” be, and as a result widens the artform to create a more inclusive community. I have also had the privilege to perform with Bautanzt Here, a dance company focused on site-specific and improvisation-based work. Bautanzt Here performs at outdoor venues all over Atlanta, at places like Grant Park, Piedmont Park, and the 54 Columns art installation in Old Fourth Ward. Performing at outdoor venues not only awakens the space and invites people to interact with movement, but also provides communities the ability to experience the artform for free.
As an active member of the Atlanta dance community, it is also my goal to educate dancers and audience members about the vital role dance plays in our lives and to empower people to become more involved in our burgeoning community. With this goal in mind, I became a Board Member with DanceATL, which is a non-profit organization that provides resources and programming for dance artists in Atlanta. We have worked to foster a greater sense of community among dancers living in the area by offering meet-ups and free dance class programs, and have inspired audience members to delve deeper into movement of all kinds by promoting artists and companies of different cultural backgrounds and movement styles. In 2023, I was voted to the Treasurer position on the Board and have been able to contribute my knowledge of finance and accounting to assist with managing funds for the many exciting and community-focused projects DanceATL has in store.
Through these opportunities, I have seen how dance can help people experience empathy, discover individuality, and unite around creative exploration. My artistic interests stem from the strength and vulnerability of the human body and the intricacies of the mind. I enjoy exploring these facets in collaborative environments where imaginations can meet to create something even more thrilling than what can be developed by one mind. As I continue my career in dance, the importance of community and the generosity of movement expression will continue to be driving factors in my work.
Photo by Shannel J Resto