Articles from the ‘Essays’ collection

A solitary wooden swing hangs untouched above fresh green groundcover, framed by the charred remains of a destroyed house.

The Geography of Memory

Southern California-based dancer and filmmaker Mary Trunk meditates on the parallels between her house burning down and her body aging in her film "The Geography of Memory."

October 19, 2026  |  Read Article

Two performers run across a dimly lit stage, one wearing a white shirt and the other black.

Freedom is a Constant Work

Artist and researcher Ajani Brannum describes the moving potency of Dancing Through Prison Walls’ show FREEDOM TIME, performed in Los Angeles earlier this year.

October 12, 2026  |  Read Article

A costumed stage ensemble performs a lively theatrical dance scene on a warmly lit set, with Sydney balanced atop a table while surrounding performers reach upward amid an ornate interior backdrop of staircases and balconies.

Sydney: Taking Each Moment as It Comes

Sydney May has been checking in with Stance on Dance every year for 14 years, sharing where dance has taken her each year. This year she got married, moved to New York City, and began working as a freelance artist.

August 24, 2026  |  Read Article

Erin is dressed in a vivid red outfit and strikes an expressive pose in a dimly lit forest clearing, framed by lush greenery and tangled fallen tree branches.

Erin: A Full-Time Artist

Erin Yen has been checking in with Stance on Dance every year for 14 years, sharing where dance has taken her each year. This year she became a full-time artist, directing her company Dragons Dance, as well as performing and teaching throughout the Bay Area.

August 17, 2026  |  Read Article

A person with short light-colored hair stands with arms outstretched on a coastal path overlooking a rocky shoreline and ocean under a cloudy sky.

Hitchhiking to Ecstasy

Ecstatic dance facilitator Rashida Alisha Hagakore and scholar Kathryn Dickason delve into the history of Hawai’i-based dancer Bodhitara Diane Searles and her imprint on ecstatic dance.

June 15, 2026  |  Read Article