A dancemaker, teaching artist, performer, producer, and researcher, my practice incorporates highly physical explorations rooted in Land-based inquiries and more than human origin stories. The physicality of my practice and performance ignites unrepressed movement explorations that bring us in closer alignment with Earth energies, beings, and creatures. With the Land, in the Waters, or in human-made structures, our dance experiences and classes prioritize an Earth First approach with the knowledge that if we care deeply for our home planet, we will care deeply for one another.
An extension of that care flows into community engagement and education outreach, essential elements that work in tandem within my performance and practice. Teaching and facilitating dance classes with folks of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds nourishes the community relationships and reminds me of the positive impact human beings may have on one another and the Land. I believe everyone is a dancer – moving through space and time, navigating terrain no matter the distance – and deserving of movement experiences that uplift and spark joy.
To help sustain my career in dance, I teach for The Paul Taylor Dance Foundation at the Taylor Center for Dance Education (NYC) and work as the Projects and Partnerships Coordinator and Ensemble member with Dancing Legacy (PVD). Founded by sisters Carolyn Adams and Julie Adams Strandberg, Dancing Legacy is a performing and teaching organization committed to enabling individuals to appreciate and participate in the rich dance heritage of the United States. Project to project, I choreograph for experimental theatre & musicals and continuously mine my dance creations and offerings within a series I call Soils, Plant & Trees, Waters, Animals, Insects.
Prior to moving to NYC, I committed to making dances and dance experiences happen in and around Albuquerque, NM. I was a teacher, dancer, and producer for Keshet Dance Company (2002-2012), an adjunct professor in Dance at the University of New Mexico (2012-2015, 2017), as well as a core member of Ecotone Physical Theatre, a performance ensemble with a mission to mine the veins of improvisation: sonic, kinesthetic, textual, visual.
In 2015 SHIFT | DANCE was founded and launched by me and my collaborators, Jacqueline M. García and Kelsey Paschich. The trio of us instigated SHIFT DANCE | FESTIVAL, one of the only annual dance festivals in Albuquerque, NM to present contemporary, research-based, and experimental dance forms from artists across the nation. SHIFT | DANCE also provided a platform for local and regional dancemakers to showcase their work regularly throughout Albuquerque.
As an independent artist, I have performed the choreography of Tanya Lukin Linklater, Kristy Janvier, Jacqueline M. García, Kelsey Paschich, Erika Pujič, Donna Jewell, Vladimir Conde Reche, Danny Grossman, David Parsons, Robert Battle, Donald McKayle, José Limón, Martha Graham, Anna Sokolow, Bill Evans, Rishauna Zumberg, among others. I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to work with Adam R. Burnett, Tyler Rai, Cami’ Leonard, Ivanie Aubin-Malo, Kenny Yun, Benjamin Viertel, Nate Weida, Jess Chayes, and New Delhi-based street theatre company, Jana Natya Manch (Janam).
My ties to Nuevoméxico run deep with roots that constantly remind me of who I am and where I come from. This body knowledge and wisdom keep me balanced in my urban home of Nueva York. In keeping these roots well-watered and supple, I am proud to serve as a board member, chair, and Artistic Director for the John Donald Robb Musical Trust at the University of New Mexico. The Robb Musical Trust promotes the music and dance traditions of New México and uplifts artists practicing experimentations in sound and movement of today.