Articles from the ‘Essays’ collection

Liz sits in the sand wearing a blue outfit with her skin painted blue. A desert scene is behind her.

Radical Aesthetics and the Winds of Change

Liz Duran Boubion, director/choreographer of Piñata Dance Collective and director of the Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers in the Bay Area, meditates on how a residency in the Sonoran desert influenced her thoughts on death and political change.

April 10, 2023  |  Read Article

Aiano demonstrates a reach upward and backward with their other hand on their stomach. Students in the mirror behind her watch and follow.

Coming Home

Aiano Nakagawa, a dance artist, educator, facilitator, writer, and event producer in the Bay Area, shares their story confronting and overcoming their body image inner demons.

January 23, 2023  |  Read Article

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.

January 2, 2023  |  Read Article