Artist Statment

For most of my life I have felt like I am too much; too emotional, too dramatic, too loud, too out there, too sensitive, too sexy, too funny, too brilliant, too humble. My dances have become a space for all this excess, a place for all that too muchness to go. A world of my own devoid of the patriarchal pressures that made me feel like it is possible to be too much of anything. This allowance creates an opening. A space for all the fibers of my humanity to peak through, to shine. As these fibers weave together they awaken the subconscious of others so that they, too, can feel their humanity. I get after this through big moves, humor, durational scores, text, and sometimes karaoke. The big moves range from 5-6-7-8 codified steps that problematize my training in competitive dance and classical ballet, to limbs flying uncontrollably through space pushing to the point of exhaustion. Oh, and lots of slowness. I choreograph conditions for trust. Trust in oneself, trust in one another, trust in the process. My dances are never devoid of effort. I think there is something magical about the state the body is in when it is in the perpetual motion that is dancing, but it is not magic; it is effort. 

I work in a DIY way both out of necessity and because it aligns with my politics. The practicalities of this way of working become an aesthetic. I present work in intimate spaces that are free to use, the costumes are made up of clothing we already have, and tech is minimal. Essentially all of the money goes towards paying dancers. I build a schedule based on people’s availability working around their jobs that pay them more. This becomes a chance procedure in my choreography; who dances with who is up to fate, creating a collage-like layering to my work. Oftentimes, the final product of my work is still a bit messy and is not performed in full until there is an audience. I’ve come to love this; it keeps things fresh as the dancers are working it out live right in front of your eyes. I encourage them to trust their gut and get lost in it; this way of working requires deep trust and a sense of collaboration that is fluid and ongoing till the very end.