Articles from the ‘Essays’ collection

West walks in a traditional red and black garb carrying a shell above his head. He walks on dirt with a forest in the background. Another dancer is in the background.

From the Village to the World and Back

Nikhita Winkler profiles Vetunjona “West” Uarije, a Namibian dancer and cultural practitioner who shares how dance connects him to his roots to heal a painful past and reintegrate a strong cultural identity.

A clown mask with a headband reading "fraud nation" set among dried grasses.

Pretendians in Dance

Snowflake Arizmendi-Calvert, a performance artist based in the Bay Area, discusses the problem of pretendians (people pretending to be Indians) in dance, and how folks can learn to advocate for Indigenous artists.

Michelle in a deep penchee with a partner. She is wearing a yellow tutu and dancers in white tutus move behind her.

A Ballet Dancer’s Journey to Loving Herself

Michelle Chaviano, a ballet dancer with Ballet North Texas, reflects on her harrowing journey with body dysmorphia and disordered eating as a young student at English National Ballet School.

Two women stand in front of a building facade trying flamenco postures

Encounters with Flamenco in Spain

Shebana Coelho, a writer and performer currently studying flamenco in Spain, reflects with her colleagues and classmates on what it means to encounter flamenco as an art form and way of life.

Black and white photos of dancers at UCSC

The Movement of Memory

Mary Trunk, a filmmaker and dance artist in Altadena, CA, shares the process of creating her film, “Muscle Memory,” which explores aging in dance by reuniting with her college dance friends from UC Santa Cruz.