DanceMotion USA Travels

by: Joseph V. Melillo

DanceMotion USA℠ Season One Launch Event – Joseph V. Melillo, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Brenda Way, Ronald K. Brown, Karen Brooks Hopkins, Alan Fishman, and US Department of State staff

BAM has been immensely proud to partner with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on seven fruitful and enlightening seasons of the DanceMotion USA℠ program. The program has created meaningful outreach and people-to-people exchanges around the world, while providing professional development opportunities for dynamic American and international artists. DanceMotion USA℠ has been a wonderful expression of BAM’s mission and of U.S. policy goals. We’re hopeful that it will serve to inform and inspire upcoming cultural programs. It has been a remarkable project and has taught me a great deal. Fundamentally I am an ambassador to most of these global communities. To explain the success of this program, we must look at the dancers who participated. The dancers of America are verbal and communicative and generous; their generosity and the weight of their personalities are the success of this program.

Reflecting back on seven seasons of programming I’m often asked the same question regarding how BAM became the administrator of this program. DanceMotion USA℠ really began because the US State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs wanted to share and distribute American dance within the global community, but they couldn’t find a creative way to do so. With that in mind, they put a request for proposal (RFP) out to the artistic and cultural communities to respond to them with solutions for how to achieve this initiative.  With little and/or unsatisfactory response to the initiative, I received a call from a senior program officer on staff at the State Department with whom I had worked with before on a separate issue. She reintroduced herself and asked if we had seen the RFP, which of course we had not. So, she sent it to me, and I went to Karen Brooks Hopkins and said I think I have a creative solution and we began developing the program. At that time it was Kirsten Munro our Director of Grants, working to craft the perfect proposal that encompassed what we envisioned as dance diplomacy in a compelling way and Alice Bernstein, BAM’s Executive Vice President, chipping away at a budget that allowed us to be vast in our reach with minimal spending all the while trying to figure out structurally within BAM how to manage such a program. They created this beautiful proposal which is what we then presented to the State Department and, I have to say, they loved it and we won the contract.

Joseph V. Melillo in Laos with individuals from the Lao disabled women’s development association.

Since then, 23 American dance companies have traveled to various regions around the globe, including Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the Middle East, the Iberian Peninsula, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and Central, South, and Southeast Asia. To date, the program has engaged more than 135,000 people in more than 55 countries (and an additional 40 million people through digital platforms and social media) and offered more than 900 workshops worldwide.

Joseph V. Melillo in Tunisia.

As we reflect back on the partnership between BAM and the Department of State, we invite you to visit DanceMotionUSA.org. This website serves as a window into this remarkable global initiative and expands the understanding of what cultural diplomacy can be. Through the course of DanceMotion USA℠, BAM has helped foster and promote mutual understanding, overcoming cultural, linguistic and national borders through the transformational power of dance.

by: Sarah Horne, DMUSA Project Director

It’s difficult to reflect back on my time with DanceMotion USA℠ because I’m still processing that the program is really coming to a close. When I was first introduced to the concept of cultural diplomacy in 2014, it seemed a vehicle for political gain. When I actually experienced cultural diplomacy as the tour manager of the Mark Morris Dance Group’s DanceMotion USA℠ residency in Cambodia, Timor Leste, Taiwan, and China, I understood that it was a vehicle for change; a tool to be used to connect individuals through something as simple yet powerful as dance. I can honestly say that partaking in that residency changed my life.

Small town Massachusetts girl, never in my wildest dreams could I have foreseen travel to destinations like Cambodia; and Timor Leste, I had never even heard of it. Yet, the people I met in these destinations became my family for the 5 weeks we were abroad. We moved together, ate, laughed, shared highs and lows, connected on intimate and personal levels, and all expressed the same desire to live a happy, healthy life; to provide for our families; to take pride in our work. The world really is small and humans all need and want the same basic necessities. Whether we’re in South East Asia or America, we’re inevitably the same, this program allowed me to fully understand that.

Mark Morris and Sarah Horne at the closing ceremony of the Special Olympics in Timor Leste with a young participant

Almost a year after that residency experience, I had the opportunity to become a part of the DanceMotion USA℠ team; working to bring to fruition these residencies for other American dancers and dance companies. With the program having had such an impact on me personally, I wanted to work toward building experiences for others that would allow them the same opportunities I had. As the Project Manager for DanceMotion USA℠, I worked with embassies and cultural partners in Africa, Asia, South America, and Eurasia to build residency tours that connected American dancers with individuals who may never have met an American, or who may never have been given the opportunity to dance and move due to physical limitations and/or access to dance and dance education. Some of the vulnerable populations we worked with had caretakers who didn’t believe those in their care could dance perhaps because they were wheelchair bound or had other physical limitations. Yet, when the American residency companies were on the ground, the palpable energy of joy in the room radiated because dance really is for everyone. Those caretakers not only saw those in their care dance but they saw them light up with a happiness that comes from inclusion and the belief that we can achieve anything our hearts set out to do.

Sarah Horne being interviewed in Taiwan following a residency activity

I had the privilege to travel to Vientiane, Laos with Dance Heginbotham in 2016 and watching this company teach and exchange with individuals on the ground brought joy to my heart and tears of happiness to my eyes. I saw them experience the same transformation I had during my Mark Morris residency and I knew then that this program was more than about achieving foreign policy goals, it was about individual, person-to-person exchange; it was about the universal language of dance; it was about empowerment and joy.

John Heginbotham with Sarah Horne in Luang Prabang, Laos

In 2017, as the Project Director for the program, I traveled to Mongolia, Korea and Russia to meet with Embassy staff and cultural partners in advance of the seventh and final season of programming. Explaining the program and discussing how dance can be used as a way to connect is often harder than one would think. More often than not, those we work with expect us to want to work with professional dancers, dance students, companies, etc. and to put on performances. Yet, the power of what we do lies in the exact opposite; connecting individually with those new to dance and/or exchanging with local, traditional groups in an effort to absorb and appreciate the culture, history, and heritage of the countries we travel to.

These advance trips held an extra special meaning for me, not only did I know they would establish the residencies for the last season of DanceMotion USA℠ programming, but I was near the end of my first trimester of pregnancy, carrying with me my daughter. In her, I hope to instill not only an appreciation and love for travel but also the respect and admiration for other cultures and societies that has grown within me since my involvement with DanceMotion USA℠ began. As the world continues to grow, preserving and respecting culture and traditions is all the more important. Cultural exchange programs do that, not only by sending Americans abroad, but by bringing international artists and curators to the United States. The connections fostered through these exchanges help create space for dialogue and discussion, demonstrate shared values, and increase cross-cultural understanding.

Sarah Horne in Moscow, Russia during an advance trip

by: Meghan Rose Murphy, DMUSA Project Manager

I was sitting in Washington DC in a conference room at the US Department of State when I realized that I was preparing to go on a tour of a different kind. Stephen Petronio Company had been selected as one of the companies that would partake in an international residency and we were at our DanceMotion USASM orientation in Washington DC when the reality of what this program meant hit me. I had been used to touring and managing dance companies in other cities across the US and other countries, but the purpose of these events was always a performance, it was never to create a more in-depth connection with populations in other areas. As I began to engage in this tour through orientation in Washington DC, conference calls with US Embassies abroad, and meetings with the company I began to get a little nervous. This was not a “normal” tour, there were so many moving pieces; workshops, lectures, performances, press events, and on top of that we had rehearsals for the company premiere in NYC shortly after we returned. I knew I had my work cut out for me, but the time came, and I packed up the company luggage (yes I do this first. . . always) and then a suitcase for myself (half full with company items) and we were off to the airport for the 25-hour travel day(s) to Chiang Mai, Thailand!

Meghan Rose Murphy and Kyle Filley getting ready to board the long-haul flight

It truly was the tour of a lifetime, we traveled to Chiang Mai and Mahasarakham, Thailand; Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Ha Long, Vietnam; and Singapore. While everything was far from perfect - schedules constantly changing, hotel wi-fi not always working, performance adaptations - it never really mattered, because at the end of the night, as I would sit preparing everything for the following days, I felt so full knowing that we were connecting with people through the language of movement. Every place we traveled to you could feel the warmth and openness from every single person we met.

One of the most full-filling moments was walking into the room at Yardfon Vocational Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities outside Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was a full company activity that we were all nervous about; 60 students who each have a range of physical and/or mental disabilities that we led a movement workshop to. This was such a large group and with such a range of “disabilities” we were unsure how to curate a class that worked for everyone. Well, the moment we walked into the room where all of the participants were sitting waiting for us, their faces light up and a roaring applause broke out across the room. Stephen and I were both so overwhelmed by the welcome that the day could have ended there with us just speaking to each of the participants. We split the large group into two rooms based on the cognitive abilities to best target movement workshops. I ran between both rooms throughout the morning not wanting to miss a thing. While one room had a free form movement class, which our US Embassy Cultural Affairs Specialist Kanchalee (Kelly) danced along while translating; the other room worked in smaller groups creating a phrase based on the movements of an animal selected by the group. When we came together it was a spontaneous show and tell of what each group had learned with both classes trying to learn the other’s moves. The positive energy in the space was contagious, you couldn’t help but let go of everything and none of us wanted to leave the moment. After many photos and then tea and snacks we had to leave as there were 3 more workshops to lead later that day.

Stephen Petronio Company with participants following a movement workshop at  Yardfon Vocational Rehabilitation Center.

This is only a small glimpse as the many highlights from the tour, it doesn’t include the food, going to the hospital in 3 out of 6 cities in 2 different countries, the cultural performances we attended, the amazing performers we shared the stage with in Thailand and Vietnam, cleaning the Marley dance floor in Mahasarakham (I still hold my promise to the American Corner students at Mahasarakham and Laila of the US Embassy that next time we see each other I won’t make them clean), the amusement parks we stumbled upon in Vietnam, the food, the amazing production managers Cindy and Nat in Singapore whom the dancers told me were the Singaporean versions of myself, celebrating one of our dancer’s birthdays, all of the workshop participants and organizations who opened their doors, how close we all became for sharing this unique experience, and did I mention the FOOD!

It was while I was in Singapore that I found out DanceMotion USASM staffing was shifting and that the Project Manager position would be open. I knew this was something that I had to pursue as my connection to the work being done through the program was so strong.  Throughout the beginning stages of my time adjusting to the role of Project Manager I learned a lot about the history of the DanceMotion USASM program, what other residencies looked like, dance diplomacy, BAM and the US Department of State. The deep history of using the arts as a form of cultural diplomacy by the US government is extremely interesting. I felt a need to help continue the legacy of mutual understanding and highlighting that the arts can make a powerful difference.

The first event I took part in as Project Manager of the program was the Follow-On Professional Development Program in Season 6. This was a program that I wasn’t particularly familiar with, but I became quickly attached. The program targets young artists and arts managers who are trying to take that next step in their respective organizations and/or careers. Bringing together these young artists and arts managers from the US and countries that were visited by the DMUSA residency tours for professional development classes and creative time is a special way to create a bond. It is our hope that these bonds lead to continued professional relationships even after the artists have returned to their respective parts of the world. Being able to look at the up-coming artist community here in NY and select artists to have that same feeling of hope and understanding that I felt on my residency made this even more special. 

By happenstance, one of the international artists from Tunis, Tunisia, who participated in the program, was already working with a company member she had met during the Season 6 residency exchange in Tunisia. They were working to bring the American dancer’s own company, Schoen Movement Company, to Tunisia to collaborate for 2 weeks with local Tunisian dancers to create a new work. I was lucky enough to be able to help ensure this collaboration would be seen widely through a livestream of the presentation. Being in Tunis for this opened my eyes further to the collaborative process and mutual understanding between two groups of dancers all coming from different places, training mechanisms, and even styles of movement.  

As the program comes to a close, I think back to all of the exchanges that were created. The program has visited a total of 56 countries and I have been fortunate to have traveled to 7 on behalf of the program. I know I can speak for so many when I say participating in this program has changed how I approach and think about situations. While the arts may not have the exact solution for global and political issues and/or conflicts, it can help both foreign and domestic individuals, to see how the general public lives, creates, and thinks highlighting that we are all looking for the same things out of life. I say thank you, gracias, merci, shukraan jazilaan, cảm ơn bạn, khàwp khun khâ to DanceMotion USASM and here’s to incorporating what I have learned in an effort to create change and make a positive future.

DanceMotion USA’s seventh season sent Ohio’s Bebe Miller Company and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company as well as Utah’s Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company on a string of dance residencies, including movement and management workshops, performances, and cultural conversations. Our 2018 DMUSA Follow-on Professional Development Program in turn welcomed 6 international artists and arts management professionals from Colombia, Kazakhstan, Peru, Russia and South Korea as well as 6 NYC based artists and arts management professionals to engage in cultural exchange with many artistic communities at BAM and beyond.

SEASON 7 BY THE NUMBERS

•        3 Dance Companies

•        1 Brooklyn-Based Professional Development Program (PDP)

•        7 Countries

•        8 US Embassies and Consulates

•        36 American Artists

•        92 Workshops

•        2,374 Workshop Participants

•        16 Performances

•        8,371 Audience Members

•        13,969 International Participants

•        577,498 Miles Traveled

SEASON 7 BY THE DIGITAL STORIES …

The dancers were our eyes and ears on tour, sharing videos, photos, and blog posts as they traveled.  Were you following along?  We put together a little guide to our favorite moments and digital stories from the 7 countries:

» South America (Bebe Miller Company)

Bebe Miller Company in collaboration with International Writing Program during a workshop in creative writing and dance for Afro-Colombian students of Colegio del Cuerpo in Cartagena, Colombia

Rooted in Bebe Miller’s decades of visionary collaborative leadership, this latest iteration of her company traveled first to Colombia, where in collaboration with International Writing Program led a workshop in creative writing and dance for Afro-Colombian students of Colegio del Cuerpo. In addition, the company led many workshops to students of dance and professional dancers. The company also led a movement workshop to people with intellectual disabilities at CEDER in Manizales, Colombia, a center focused on contributing to the transformation of people with disabilities through promoting social inclusion. The company took time on their day off to try the amazing coffee of the Colombian coffee region. In Peru, the company led a lecture-demonstration and performed original repertoire in Arequipa, Lima and Trujillo. The company led many workshops and also learned traditional Peruvian dance such as that of the Arequipa region and Afro-Peruvian. While in Lima, Peru Bebe Miller Company collaborated with differently abled dancers from Kinesfera Company to present an informal showing of their collaborative work.

» Kazakhstan and Russia (Dayton Contemporary Dance Company)

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company with the young students of Children’s Academy of Musical in Moscow, Russia. 

This All-American contemporary dance troupe stepped outside its comfort zone, traveling to Kazakhstan and Russia for a true cultural exchange in Spring 2018. Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC), led by artistic director Debbie Blunden-Diggs, started their journey off with a wildly successful collaboration with traditional Kazakh dance company, Kayzna Dance Ensemble. Dancer Countess V. Winfrey reflects on the process of choreographing the collaboration between DCDC and Kazyna. Elsewhere in Kazakhstan, they played to eager audiences to an original performance by dance club members at the Umit Orphanage, as well as leading master classes with local dance students and companies. In Russia, the company performed original repertory in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Kurgan; you can read about dancer Michael Green’s experience performing on the legendary Bolshoi stage and “Emerging Victorious”. The company had a moving experience leading master classes and being treated to a presentation with two different all-ability dance company, “Drugiye” (Those Different) Inclusive Dance Theater and “Stereo” Inclusive Dance Group. After a final set of workshops with the Children’s Academy of Musical in Moscow the company began its journey back to Dayton, OH.

» East Asia (Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company)

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company leading a workshop with K-Wheel Dance Project in Seoul, South Korea

Utah’s premier company fulfilled its motto of “Dance is for Everyone,” leading workshops and performing across Mongolia and South Korea in Spring 2018. Ready to learn as much as they taught, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company embarked on the first leg of their journey in Mongolia, where they participated in the country’s first ever international dance festival, Motion Mongolia. Throughout some of the workshops led, the company realized that the trust you create in space as dancers is similar to the trust on the roads in Ulaanbaatar. The company also held creative movement workshops for seniors, disadvantaged children, and differently abled movers. In Korea, the company worked with students and teacher defectors from North Korea, and became the first contemporary dance company ever to perform at the centuries-old Deoksugung Palace. Additionally, the company expanded its palates by trying many new foods including taking a class on how to make bibimbap and the tastes of Korean 7-11.

» Follow-on Program

PDP participants following an open rehearsal and discussion with alumni company Seán Curran Company.

In August 2018, 6 international artists participated in a one-week Professional Development Program (PDP) in conjunction with the BAM Education department and Creative Capital.  Participants (nominated by Artistic Directors of Bebe Miller Company, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company) were artists and arts managers from the Colombia, Kazakhstan, Peru, Russia and South Korea. The group took part in five half-days of intensive, hands-on, professional development workshops, beginning with strategic planning, continuing with business management and negotiations, marketing, and public speaking. The group also attended a performance of DMUSA alumni Mark Morris Dance Group at Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart Festival, Open Rehearsal and Conversation with DMUSA Alumni Seán Curran Company, master classes taught by DMUSA alumni Seán Curran and Michelle Boulé. The program concluded with a final showing in which the artists shared their individual and collaborative work. The group included the following participants from the following countries of origin:

Maria Baryshnikova, Creative Director of NEW YORK dance studio and Move Forward Association in Moscow, Russia

Sabina Battal, Dancer with Kazyna Dance Ensemble in Shymkent, Kazakhstan

Adrián Chuquipiondo Celestino, Dancer/Managing Director of KinesferaDanza in Lima, Peru

Yong Woo Kim, Wheelchair Dancer and Founder of K-Wheel Dance Project in Seoul, South Korea

Luis Miguel Martínez Guarnizo, Dancer/Choreographer in Manizales, Colombia

Anna Pasmor, Dancer/Dance Teacher/Choreographer at the Academy of Children’s Musical in Moscow, Russia

The 6 international artists were paired with local artists as partners in learning throughout the week-long program. The local artists included the following participants:

Sheena Annalise, Founder/Artistic Director/Choreographer of Arch Ballet in New York, NY

Cain Alfonza Coleman, Jr., Dancer/Choreographer/Founder and Artistic Director of ColemanCollective in Brooklyn, NY

Kayla Hamilton, Artist/Producer/Educator and Founder of K. Hamilton Projects in Bronx, NY

Kyle Marshall, Director/Dancer/Choreographer and Founder of Kyle Marshall Choreography, NY

Pablo Francisco Ruvalcaba, Dancer/Dance Teacher and Co-Founding Director of The Higher Ground Festival in New York, NY

This past summer with DMUSA PDP 2018 was incredible. Our week long experience of exchanging our worlds as NYC artists with amazing artists from all over the world was invaluable. Not only was I thrilled to build a global voice through diplomacy with my peers of the program, but the Professional Development Program aspect has propelled Arch Ballet to ensure our ballets not only survive but thrive for years to come.

The full cohort of artists for the DMUSA Follow-On PDP with DMUSA staff and Jay R. Raman (Director, Cultural Programs Division at US Department of State)

Right after DMUSA PDP 2018 I went straight into Arch Ballet’s Summer Intensive #ACBi2018 which hosted 25 students from all over the world to learn my specific movement pedagogy, Arch Ballet Technique, and our repertoire. The week after, the company had our Summer Performance season at The Davenport Theatre NYC where we performed Two Steps Backward and premiered a new work, REM.

Up next for Arch Ballet are two colossal world premiere ballets, Vantage Point and Body’s Thinking (working title). Through the Follow-On PDP 2018 I received a lot of great feedback from mentors of the program and an international perspective on the concepts of my work which are reflected in our plans moving forward with the productions.

We are in the development phase of these new works which includes gathering repertoire specific advisory boards and relevant sponsors to uplift each ballet, in addition to the standard world premier needs such as new choreography, costumes, and impeccable dancers. Vantage Point entails architects, community development planners, social workers, economists, and drone tech companies that will help bring my vision of the ballet to life. Body’s Thinking (working title) requires neuroscientists, medical machine companies, and behaviorists to collaborate on the scientific side behind my ballet.

Sheena Annalise in rehearsal with her company Arch Ballet

Creative Capital through DanceMotion USA has opened so many doors for me on the business sector of creating ballet. I am taking the necessary steps from the seed of an idea all the way through to its fruition with the tools given to us, and now my ballets will not only live in today but will live on for generations after me to enjoy. I look forward to Arch Ballet's continued growth and will continue to share it with our international dance peers. In addition to all of our new work proposals, I am also currently taking an Evening Division class at Juilliard ‘Producing Dance in NYC’ to further my education in strategic planning.

We are seeking prospective premiere venues for Spring and Fall 2019 and with the encouragement of DanceMotion USA we have extended our international possibilities through our dance diplomacy partners and more. We never thought about taking our repertoire outside of America for premieres but we are receiving great feedback internationally now. I will be visiting South Africa in the winter where I will also be pitching to several venues for consideration, I am confident that list will continue to grow as we develop more of the proposals behind the premieres. You can follow or inquire about our journey for these new works at www.archballet.com/new-work which we will continue to update. Stay up to date by follow us on social media - Instagram: @archballet and Facebook: www.facebook.com/archballet

written by: Anna Pasmor

It's been two month since my amazing experience with the DanceMotion USASM Follow-On PDP.  I received so much information and advice, as well as so many great tips. . . you really need time to wrap your head around it all and put your thoughts in some kind of order.

Through the Creative Capital workshops, I realized that our website needed some changes. It was not very informative to our audience, using tools and information from Mathew Deleget’s workshop we updated our website. I also used my new "presentation" and "public speaking" skills in a meeting with our school’s sponsors in September. With this I convinced the sponsors and as a result my students are going to an international dance competition in Berlin! YAY!!! I never thought I could do it; DMUSA and Creative Capital made me believe in myself, believe that everything is possible.

I updated my resume using "Elevator Pitch" techniques from the sessions led by Ela Troyano and James Scruggs. I’ve created my “lifetime goals” but I am still working on creating 1 year, 5 year and 10 year goals. It's hard! J Finally, I am managing my time so much better now, not perfect! J I'm getting better using the "time tracking" sheets from the Strategic Planning Workbook. Thank you for these books, they are so helpful!!  

Written by: Kyle Marshall

Preeti Vasudevan

Hometown: Chennai, India. Family is from southern India.

Education: Masters in dance, Laban Centre London; Certified Movement Analyst; BA Psychology

Hobbies or interests: Travel, cooking, tennis, visiting ancient sites and jungles

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: I am a Choreographer, Educator, Performer, and Cultural Connector.

My company Thresh is based out of NYC and collaborates with local and international artists. We also do educational work through workshops, master classes and online platforms.

Major influences: In India – my teachers VP and Shanta Dhananjayan. US Krishna Rao, Grandparents (who instilled the art of storytelling in me), R K Lakshman, Satyajit Ray; Internationally – Violette Verdy, Rudolf Laban, Grotowski, Artaud, Mary Wigman, Dominique Boivin, Bill T Jones, George Balanchine, Jacques D’Amboise, Carlos Saura, Claire Denis, Akira Kurasawa, Hisao Miyazaki

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: I am an exponent of classical Indian dance (Bharatanatyam) creating new provocative contemporary works from the Indian tradition. My mission is to create experimental dance-theater that fosters a provocative dialogue with identity, and our relationship with heritage cultures and our contemporary life.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any:

Stories by Hand – premiered Nov 2017 – on tour now (touring India Aug-Sep)

Etudes – proposed premiere 2019-20 – a work with Amar Ramasar (Principal dancer at NYCB)

Favorite representation of dance in a music video/web video: I think this one summarizes it all – old and new all at once – always loved it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1F0lBnsnkE

Your definition of dance: Dance is what we are. The soul to being dynamic, curious, open, charged, awake, liberated. It cleanses you while also questioning you. It’s the only life partner and gives you true breathing. Everyone can dance and should dance, whether you are young or old, incapacitated or agile – every twitch that is in you needs to find an expression from inside out. Dance is the circle of life.

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) When I was about 5!

What do you want people to know about you, what you do, and where you come from? That I love sharing stories and finding new ones; I am a storyteller and I come from southern India but now I live in NYC and travel to many places where I learn more about myself and share my experiences with others.

What do you think of using dance as a form of diplomacy? Dance connects everyone as it does not have the issue of verbal language that can be misunderstood. Movement is in every person and the visceral feeling energizes and builds trust. This trust creates diplomacy from the heart.

What do you hope to gain from your participation in this program? Great partnerships and future opportunities to collaborate and work with and in other countries as part of a larger exchange.

Sabina Battal

Hometown: I’m from Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

Education: I study at university “Shymkent”, and I’m a kindergarten teacher.

Hobbies or interests: I like to dance very much. I have been dancing for 12 years.

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: I’m an artist of the “Kazyna” dance ensemble.

Can you describe the art (performing, visual, etc.) scene in your country?We are a state ensemble in Kazakhstan. Our tendency is folk dances. We have a lot of different kinds of Kazakh dances and other cultural dances such as Uzbek, Russian, Ukraine, Korean, and others.

What was the most memorable thing about working with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company / Bebe Miler Company / Dayton Contemporary Dance Company? We worked with  Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the most memorable thing was that we taughteach other our dances. They taught us their contemporary dances and we taught them our Kazakh dances.

Have you ever been to the United States? Have you ever been to New York City? If no, what are you most looking forward to experiencing? This is my first visit to New York. I’m a little worried about that. I would like to know other dance trends and show it to my ensemble in Kazakhstan. It’s new, it’s beginning, and I think it’s going to be quite significant.

If you have any video footage/photos of current or recent projects please provide us with links to view:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crleotdw8q8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mve8JMRtwP8

Favorite representation of dance in a music video/web video:

Pablo Francisco Ruvalcaba

Hometown: Born in San Diego, raised in Tijuana, Mexico

Education: Started dancing at age 18 at La Casa de la Cultura in Tijuana, Mexcio. Then studied at South Western College in San Diego, California. Continued dancing at Julliard and then in the Limón Dance Company.

Hobbies or interests: Reading, especially Borges or Neil Gaiman

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: Former Limón Dance Company dancer in The Moor’s Pavane, The Traitor, and the Outsider.

Co-founder/director of Higher Ground Festival

Limón Dance Company repertory re-constructor and teacher

Major influences: Limón’s philosophy/ideology. His humanity/inclusiveness of what we do and why.

Your definition of dance: Primal, something we’ve always done and will always do. It is one of the most comprehensive languages, beyond spoken. Something we inherently understand.

What do you think of using dance as a form of diplomacy? Dance is intimacy that we share. It is highly personal. It is an ideal form of diplomacy because dance allows us to be vulnerable. It is who we are and a good place to work from.

What is your most memorable moment in the dance industry, thus far? Dancing in Bosnia after the war. Our repertory was about valor in the face of adversity and coming back from a brink. The audience had a deep appreciation for our performance and sincerely digested it. It was beautiful to see this theater that had gunshot holes from war in it, but was still functioning. Another memorable moment was performing a solo for the first time at the Theater of Bellas Artes in Mexico City. It was significant because of my Mexican upbringing.

What do you hope to gain from your participation in this program? I hope to gain real perspective into the field of art administration on a global scale. I also hope to gain the ability to create a blueprint for myself as a festival administrator/director.

Luis Miguel Martinez Guarnizo

Hometown: Born and raised in Manizales, Caldas. Mother’s side of the family is from Natagaima, Tolima.

Education: University at: Universidad de Caldas, BA in Modern Languages (2019)

Artistic Education: Plastic arts at Escuela de Artes COMFAMILIARES

Hobbies or interests: Reading books, playing video games, going to theatre, dancing, listening to music (a must when I walk/run), TV and movies, drinking tea.

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: Primarily I am a performer. I dance with with DANZA-LAB, all of the members of the laboratory have had to become choreographers as a part of an assignment from our professor .

A while back, I started to get more involved in the public image of the group and helping the professors with some administrative duties. In that sense I would be a pseudo-assistant.

Can you describe the art (performing, visual, etc.) scene in your country Colombia has a wide range of artistic expression. Some of the most easily recognizable are the local celebrations (Carnivals and fairs) in cities all around the country, which allows many performers to converge in parades and shows. Festivals occur each year where theatre and dance meet. Street performers are very common (especially on red lights). Museums and galleries are open and lots of artists display their work (there are other venues for them to present their art, like universities, restaurants or hotels).

What was the most memorable thing about working with Bebe Miler Company? Receiving a group of complete strangers can be overwhelming. You want to show yourself at your best and do everything perfectly, but it was different working with Bebe Miller Company. Sarah, our teacher that day, was very straight forward when it came to mistakes, and that is to say “It is ok to commit mistakes, simply use them to keep creating movement and communicate.”  

Have you ever been to the United States? Have you ever been to New York City? I have never been to the States, nor NYC. I would be lying if I did not say I want to eat pizza at an authentic New York pizza parlor. Walking down the shores of the Hudson River. Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. Visiting any museum. And experiencing the cultural exchange with like minded, passionate, dance folk.

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: Being who we are isn’t a pity but a privilege. Moving like we move isn’t an automatic process but a message-filled experience. I belong to a community; they support me as I support them. Everything must be a joint effort, even if only one of us is on stage.   

Your definition of dance: Dance is an intrinsic element of human interaction; with significant development through history, it is capable of communicating without words.  

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) With my mother’s encouragement and teachings I began to get more and more interested in dancing. But it was not until I met my dance teachers that I truly started working with proper technique and dedication.

What do you think of using dance as a form of diplomacy? From my studies in linguistics I know that our bodies are capable of giving out multiple messages and transmitting a great amount of feelings. This sharing process is well suited for diplomatic instances where words are not enough to grasp some notions of a specific culture.  

What do you hope to gain from your participation in this program? First and foremost, I want to get sufficient tools to improve or boost my participation in the arts scene. International networking would be ideal. A good record that can strengthen the relationship between Colombian schools and North American ones.    

What are your goals for your future involvement in dance/the performing arts?

Kyle Marshall

Hometown: Born: Plainfield, NJ. Currently live: Jersey City, NJ.  Father’s side: Lincolnton, GA. Mother’s side: Jamaica.

Education: BFA in Dance, Rutgers University

Hobbies or interests: Art, music, films, books, cartoons, outdoors, history, political science

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: Dancer, choreographer, teacher, audience member

Major influences: Malcolm X, Jimi Hendrix, Ralph Lemon, Doug Elkins, Bebe Miller, Beyonce, Trisha Brown, Kara Walker, Bill T. Jones, Donald Glover, Joan Miro

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: The dancing body is a site for celebration, an igniter of social change and a container of history. Dance is an opportunity to empathize with other human beings. In sharing my work, I aim to deepen our knowledge of who we are as individuals, how we develop relationships and ultimately societies.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any: This past May, I premiered a new work called WAGE at CPR in Brooklyn. This quartet, exposes white supremacy and capitalism wound within our American bodies. The dance has original music by Jon Johnson and a lobby installation by visual artist and dancer, Myssi Robinson.

My next work is considering Christianity’s influence on our American bodies and how our culture, laws, and traditions have been shaped by a religion we do not necessarily believe in. Two working titles of the work are Ruin or Reign.

Favorite representation of dance in a music video/web video: “Single Ladies” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY

Your definition of dance: Dance is bodies in motion. Bodies can be people or objects. Objects can dance, too. Dance is a conjuring. Heat, sweat, sensation, emotions and thoughts grow within our form. Truths unravel into questions as we take the history in our bodies and jostle it, loosing up our joints and our sense of human. The doing depletes the body while it is filled with new information from its interaction with the earth and the other bodies in space. We feel the joy dance creates when we connect to our refreshed selves and the bodies surrounding us. It is contagious.

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) When I was a child, I used to dance in my living room to Michael Jackson. When I was at least 4 years old I put stuffed animals on my couch and would dance for them. Costumes and all. Not much has changed between that kid and me. I still sometimes make work in my living room, minus the teddy bears.

It wasn’t until I went to North Carolina School of the Arts summer intensive between 8th grade and freshman year of high school did I feel my body pushed to its limits. It was then that I had a better idea of what was needed to be professional dancer.  

What do you think of using dance as a form of diplomacy? Unlike language, dance needs no translator to be understood. It is a form that comes down to people and the present time. Every culture dances in their unique way. It is a form that is both universal and variable. Dance is a way of celebrating, sharing, and remembering a culture and the people who live it.

Dance is a way to bring people together to share ideas and new ways of moving. By learning a new dance, you also embody a combination of history, etiquette, and values. Your body becomes a space for cultural exploration.

Working in the studio is a collaborative effort. The combination of people from two different cultures can be an utopian microcosm for the greater world. Filled with curiosity, sharing and growth. A new type of product would be created by the sharing of these two groups of people.  

What is your most memorable moment in the dance industry, thus far? My most memorable moment might have been presenting Colored in 2017 at the Actors Fund Arts Center. It was my first evening length work and first self produced evening. It was a year and a half of work, but it paid off. I was so happy with the performances, the people who came, and the energy of the whole weekend. It felt like the beginning of something, a shift in my life.  

What are your goals for your future involvement in dance/the performing arts? I want to grow my ideas and dance company to share my work with larger audiences. I want my choreography to be bold enough to be presented in large performance spaces and humble enough to be shared in intimate, educational settings. I want to bring in non-dance audiences to see art, from children to seniors. I see myself directing and collaborating on theatrical productions in the future. I am also curious about teaching creativity, dance, leadership in both academic and non-art world audiences, especially people of color.

Maria Baryshnikova

Hometown: Was born in Russia as all my family members, live in Moscow.

Education: After school, I studied at the College of Fine Arts. I quit after 1 year to dance. Then I attended Russian Social University, Faculty of Finance and Credit for 4 years but did not finish for several reasons.

Hobbies or interests: All the art forms, I’m studying the history of art in general. I try to learn more about living a healthy lifestyle and nutrition in particular.

Can you describe the art (performing, visual, etc.) scene in your country? I can say that Russia is very distinctive in all the areas of art. Of course, if we take a look at the street dance culture, we see that Russian dancers follow the USA, but meanwhile they bring something of their own, something that foreigners lack. I think it’s the same with the dancers of other countries.

What was the most memorable thing about working with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company while they were in Russia? The most memorable thing about working with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is their style and originality in modern stage productions. And of course the performers themselves: such charismatic personalities, universal dancers and inspiring teachers.

Have you ever been to the United States? Have you ever been to New York City? I’ve been to the United States and I’ve been to New York City. Last time as a dancer who was keen on street dancing, I visited the Block Party in Bronx with the participation of the legendary DJ Kool Herc. I felt like I was in a movie, because I could only see this in movies before. This time I expect a lot of inspiration from this trip and participation in the program. I’m very excited!

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: My mission in dance culture is to continue supporting and developing the dance industry with my projects, to create opportunities for dancers and choreographers for expressing themselves and sharing their art. The arts have always had a great influence on the world. And I hope it can make the world a better place. I’d love to be involved in this at least a little.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any: In October 2018 we will have the Respect Showcase in Russia. It will showcase the best urban and modern choreographers of the Russian dance industry. It’s not about competition, but mostly a platform to share their art. We invite international judges to choose the best choreographer and to teach dance classes.

Last year’s trailer: https://youtu.be/S8BOUUAmucM

Favorite representation of dance in a music video/web video: Justin Timberlake – Like I Love You. At that time, for us, the choreography for this video was a dance revolution

Your definition of dance: Dance is a wonderful world and dancers are happy people no matter what. Dance is an endless stream of joy; even if you’re dancing about sad things, you’re still happy that you can express your feelings through dancing. Dance is the best psychologist.

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) I started ballroom dancing when I was 6. I can say for sure that I did not like it very much, since the eternal dependence on finding partners was depressing. But when I was 13 I joined a team that studied many styles from ballet to hip-hop. It became the main thing in my life.

Kayla Hamilton

Hometown: I was born in Texarkana – a small North East town that borders Texas and Arkansas. Currently, I live and work in Bronx, New York and have called it my home for the last 10 years. As far as where my family is from, I honestly don’t know.

Education: The bulk of my education that I deeply value comes directly from life experiences and the spaces in which I occupy and intersect – black, woman, impaired. The formal education I’ve received at Hunter College and Texas Woman’s University is supplemental at best to the wisdom I have gained through being present and inquisitive throughout my life.

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: Throughout my career I have had to be all of the following– educator, performance administrator, marketer, choreographer, dancer, artistic collaborator. But I’m also an activist who uses dance as my medium to create change. This all-inclusiveness is also the best way I give back to my community. Not only have I taught master and community dance classes, but I’ve also mentored youth, served on grant panels, and continually focus on co-collaboration and providing/creating space for all our voices to be heard – all things I wouldn’t have been able to contribute to our community if I hadn’t done or experienced myself.

Major influences: Any artist of color and any artist who is making their differences, their art.

Intersectionality, how things come together, along with my own personal visions and lenses in which I experience life are also major influences on me and my work.

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: As an artist, I encourage people to question their identity in relationship to the world. Each work is autobiographical and exists in the locus of many intersections: race, gender and dis/ability. I attempt to bridge experiences of otherness with bodies that are privileged to create empathy and ignite equality.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any:

Current projects I am working on are: Dark Room Duet, a collaboration with visually impaired artist Krishna Washburn which explores themes of impairment and sight and lineage and legacy.

Nearly Sighted, a collaborative work representational of the diverse spectrum of personhoods and experience in which we live and create within.

And Here/Hear, a solo project which uses the language (good and bad) I heard throughout my life about my body type not being the dancer norm and how people’s words affected my confidence as a dancer.

Your definition of dance: Dance is what we make it. Right now dance is extremely institutionalized and far removed from its roots of being movement – any movement. From brushing your teeth to executing the perfect pirouette, it’s all movement. Anything can be turned into a dance if that’s the intentionality behind it. This where the ideology behind our cultural quote of “everyone can dance” comes from – this very raw and organic idea that if you are moving your body with intention you are dancing. You are creating dances as you move through life. Because dance is joy, sadness, love, heartbreak – all the emotions that we all as humans feel and physically manifest in some way. Dance has always had its root in the people; we are the ones that have removed that association. And we are the ones that need to bridge it back.

What do you think of using dance as a form of diplomacy? I think there is no greater gift we can give to this world than us as dancers using our art to impact and serve the greater good. I like to believe that my life and my work is a representation of that – the kind of world I want to live in. Organic expression; co-collaborative; intersectional; self-aware; always questioning.

What is your most memorable moment in the dance industry, thus far? My performance The Future of Our Worlds with Skeleton Architecture.

Not only was I working with women I admired from afar for a long time, but as I created and moved with them I was overwhelmed with a sense of awe. Here I was, this black, impaired, big body imperfect dancer according to industry standards from a little podunk town who moved to New York with big dreams and now I was living them.

It was an immense sense of accomplishment that I was doing what I set out to do – and gratitude. A lot of gratitude for everything that got me to that point. And the fact that we were recognized and awarded as a collective was pure icing on cake that was an already mind blowing experience.

I carry the residue of that performance on me wherever I go.

What are your goals for your future involvement in dance/the performing arts? Making dance less about the elite and more about the people – the ones who perform it and do it daily just maybe not on traditional stages. Less about what outsiders believe our art to be about and more about how we live and experience it ourselves. I really want to bring back the sense of play in dance – the very thing that brought most us into the art in the first place.

I also want to continue to push and challenge the notions of what a dancer “should” look like in terms of race and ability as well as how we should present ourselves – perfectly poised, heavily curated.

My ultimate goal is bring people together in a shared appreciation of dance and build communities that don’t just talk about support but actually acts on behalf of it.

Yong Woo Kim

Hometown: My family is all Korean. I was born in Seoul, Korea and still live in Seoul.

Education: I am studying in the arts field at graduate school now.

Hobbies or interests: I like to travel and experience.

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: I am currently active as a dancer and choreographer. I also have a disabled dancer team. I am communicating with society through dance performances.

Can you describe the art (performing, visual, etc.) scene in your country?The field of art in our country is very active. I am mainly active with disabled dancers. Dance for the disabled of Korea started about 10 years ago and has been developing rapidly during the last 5 years. I am within the first generation of disabled dancers in Korea.

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work:  Korea’s disability dances have not existed for a long time.There were few disabled dancers and not much research. I will study disability dancing more and raise the disabled dancers.

Favorite representation of dance in a music video/web video: I like creative dance mixed with Korean dance elements. There is no specific video.

Your definition of dance: Dance is an expression of my life and communication with people. I try to communicate with people through dance performances.

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) I started wheelchair dance sports in 2002 and started modern dance in 2008.

What do you want people to know about you, what you do, and where you come from? I came from the Republic of Korea. And I dance with wheelchair dancers and non-dancers and perform.

What do you think of using dance as a form of diplomacy? I think it is a very good way. I also have many exchanges with foreign countries through dance.

What is your most memorable moment in the dance industry, thus far? When I first became an Asian champion as a wheelchair dance sports player and when I choreographed a contemporary dance work for the first time.

Cain Coleman

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia

Education: SUNY Purchase (2009-2013)

Hobbies or interests: Traveling, Fashion, Listening to Music, Viewing Theater, Gardening

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world:

Educator

Performer    

Choreographer

Supporter/Advocate

Major influences: Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Pina Bausch, Beyonce, George Balanchine, Fosse, Mats Ek, Bill T Jones, Stephanie Tooman

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: As a creator, my desire is to constantly strive to remain inspired, tenacious and accountable for the growth of myself, my audience, and my collaborators alike. It is imperative to build a safe space for all affiliates and collaborators, so that they feel confident that their their ideas, thoughts, and suggestions are heard through the process and creation of art; keeping an open and flexible mind is key. I believe with great conviction that being open to suggestions from others, is the only way to truly stand in the front of a room as the director and create art worth viewing.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any:

Fruit Punch presented BAAD (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance)

“Nina’s Closet” presented by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

“Retrograde” Presented by Jonah Bokaer at Chez Bushwick

Favorite representation of dance in a music video/web video: “Forbidden” by Todrick Hall

Your definition of dance: Dance is a coupling of the heart and mind in motion and the perfect marriage of craft and freedom.

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) I began my dance training when I was 16 years old, after being inspired by films like The Wiz, Fame, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Thriller. Watching dancers of color performing gave me the hope to be an artist of influence. In retrospect, dance certainly chose me and I’m honored to be in the number, if you will.

What do you want people to know about you, what you do, and where you come from? I want it to be known that I am an artist with nothing to prove and everything to share. I desire to expound my working relationships in the dance community and I look forward to being influenced and inspired by the journey of others.

What do you hope to gain from your participation in this program? I hope to gain a deeper knowledge of how to grow and sustain my collective and to acquire the skills to become a stronger cultural entrepreneur.

What are your goals for your future involvement in dance/the performing arts? My goal is to build an empire through performance, education and collaboration.  

Anna Pasmor

Hometown: I was born in Moscow. Have been living there with my family all my life.

Education: I was trained as a ballroom dance teacher/choreographer at a Russian State University of Physical Education and Sport.

Hobbies or interests: Sports, especially volleyball. I love to travel and meet with new people, go to cinema and theater.

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: I’m a combination of 3: teacher, performer and choreographer. As a performer I work at the Moscow Operetta Theater.

I teach ballroom dance, modern jazz, and Broadway jazz at “Tropicana Dance School”. And as a teacher/choreographer, I work with the Musical Theater Academy where we create original musicals for children.

Can you describe the art (performing, visual, etc.) scene in your country? The art scene in Russia is growing very fast, especially in the last 5 years, thanks to the popular “SYTYCD” like tv show “DANCE on TNT”. This show promotes different styles of dance and many young kids decide to go to dance schools and join dance companies.

What was the most memorable thing about working with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company / Bebe Miler Company / Dayton Contemporary Dance Company? We were working with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. The greatest thing was the incredible energy that they brought to us. It was so very contagious and inspiring.

Have you ever been to the United States? Have you ever been to New York City? I’ve been to NY plenty of times, mostly to see Broadway shows. I love that city with all my heart and lived there actually for a year when I was 14, thanks to my ballroom dance training program. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, learning as much as I can, and sharing my experiences and love for the musical theater and dance.

Major influences: Broadway directors and choreographers; Jerry Mitchel, Kenny Ortega, Andy Blunkenbuller, Casey Nicholaw.

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: To provide a fun, creative, educational space for young artists, where they can express themselves through art, music, and dance.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any: I’m working on a new piece for Solovey Dance Theater inspired by the World Cup, and Peter Pan The Musical for Musical Theater Academy.

Favorite representation of dance in a music video/web video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDnZjMoUI24

Your definition of dance: An artistic form of nonverbal communication. A way of expressing my soul through movement.

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) I started to work in dance at the age of 12.

What is your most memorable moment in the dance industry, thus far? In the spring of 2018, I took part in the contemporary dance festival “Sila Bezmolviya” in Saint Petersburg. The level of talent blew me away.

Why is participating in the DanceMotion USA Follow-On Program important to you at this point in your artistic career? I think it is always important to participate in events like this. It gives you energy and inspiration, makes your work better, and gives you courage to move forward.

Sheena Annalise

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Hobbies or interests: My interests outside of ballet and choreography are constantly evolving and are significantly influenced by the many interesting things I see and people I meet while out and about exploring New York’s vibrant cultural scene. My current obsessions include brain anatomy and architecture blue prints. I’m also an avid sailor and love spending time in Central Park.

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world:  My role as a choreographer and Artistic Director/Founder for Arch Ballet requires me to wear many hats. On one hand, I am responsible for ensuring that Arch Ballet’s creative contributions have an impact on the community and help ballet to progress and evolve with the times. On the other hand, I run the business, operational and administrative side of Arch Ballet, including fundraising, accounting, marketing, and press, all of which are vital in ensuring we have sufficient resources to continue to grow, sustaining the creation of new art and allowing us to reach a wider audience.

Major influences: The community is my biggest influence in creating new work.

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: My mission is to keep ballet evolving by presenting new ballet, new music, and new ideas for an inclusive 21st century audience. Every concept is distinctly relevant to contemporary society often leveraging technology, science, visual art, fashion, and current cultural ideas to bring each ballet’s message to life on stage.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any:

1)     Premieres Aug 14-15 at The Davenport Theatre

“REM” is a sleek, curious, and avant-garde ballet with perplexing body lines that are paired with an unconventional music choice of using the dancers’ breathe in an amplified percussive tone.

2)     In Creation Process

“Physical Thinking” is a thought-provoking and cutting edge partnership with neuroscientists. fMRI mobile technology record the evolution of a dancer’s mind through the creation process and video results are projected onto the floor  to light up the stage. My hope is to bring the audience closer to dance through simulation of what the dancer is thinking during the movement the members of the audience are seeing on stage, and the flux of their thoughts through the process.

Your definition of dance: Dance is an artist’s tangible thoughts using their body as their tool of choice.

What do you think of using dance as a form of diplomacy? Dance is the perfect way to create cross-cultural understanding either through movement workshops or performances. Dance opens up the ability to learn and grow by sharing a global human connection unique to each artist’s surroundings, without barriers of language, cultural differences or background.

Why is participating in the DanceMotion USA Follow-On Program important to you at this point in your artistic career? I’ve taken my career and Arch Ballet as far as I can with my own knowledge and surrounding help. The DanceMotion USA Follow-On Program would provide me with the tools I need in order to be able to grow as a creative director and expand Arch Ballet toward our goal of creating a lasting institution for innovative ideas through movement.

What do you hope to gain from your participation in this program? The resources, expertise, and training provided  by the program will allow Arch Ballet and I to succeed as cultural entrepreneurs. With government funding being increasingly scarcer and harder to obtain, these tools are essential to the success of my strategic planning and would help open an array of door that are crucial to our mission.

What are your goals for your future involvement in dance/the performing arts? To influence the evolution of ballet and continue to introduce new audiences to the art form.

Adrián Chuquipiondo Celestino

Hometown: I was born in Lima and am currently living there. My family are migrants; they came from different parts of Perú. My mother and her family came from Pasco, from a rural place called Huariaca and my father came from Iquitos, the capital city of Loreto, which is mostly jungle. But the family of my father (from the side of his mother) came from Japan. We are all inmigrants in Lima, ourselves or our families. Mixed-raced, too. So I’m rooted in the tropical and Andean side of Perú, but raised in Lima as a sansei child.

Education: I studied Architecture at UNI, but during that time I started to get interested in physical practices. I trained in capoeira at the campus, then took classical dance for a couple of years. In my last year at UNI, I began yoga classes as a great teacher talked so much about it and how it improved his life and dance technique. I started to practice, then received aid to attend a teacher training in Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga. I taught for a couple of years after the training. At that moment I started to take contemporary dance workshops, related to physical theater, contact improvisation, and somatics. Currently I’m studying senso-experience theater which is a form of theater that involves the use of senses to create experiences for people. It involves a lot of physical contact, self-exploration of our own tales and listening to the other.

Hobbies or interests: I enjoy moving, exploring, and creating through movement. It allows me to deeply explore myself in relation to other people. I love physical practices of movement. I also love urbanism. I work as an urban researcher. It’s an opportunity to think about how cities work, the relationship of people (in a broad sense) in and to a physical place. Somehow I think it’s the same as dancing but on a different scale: a room or black box, a park, a neighborhood, a district or a city. It’s all human relationships.

Your roles and responsibilities in the dance world: Well, I’m a dancer at first and the rest comes after that. I love dancing and I love doing it at Kinesfera given the ideas and values that are the heart of this organization. I chose to support the project and became its director and manager simultaneously. Because the core group is so small, we have multiple roles in the company.

I discover my concerns through my body, and then share my experiences with my fellow dancers in order to be involved in their learning processes as well. I facilitate dialogues in which everyone involved opens their hearts.

Can you describe the art (performing, visual, etc.) scene in your country? I’m not totally aware of the arts scene in Perú. But here in Lima, there are two parallel movements related to what is the mainstream and what is in independent movements, which is more interesting. We have galleries and some arts museums that avoid making controversy for political or economic stakeholders. In terms of plastic arts there is a lot of censorship around issues like terrorism, memory, and political violence. At the same time museums subordinate non-academic production like Peruvian crafts as crafts but not art.

In terms of performing arts in the mainstream side there are a lot of productions related to entertainment, and lighter content. It is not bad in itself but in our context it seems to be a denial of what is happening within our society. On the other hand there are a lot of independent movements and groups that have been creating arts for decades. For example, Maguey Teatro is rooted in physical theater and its contents are related to our history, but humanized. There are some dancers who are working as cultural managers because there is not a lot of aid for the performing arts. There are spaces such as Tremenda – Espacio Cultural which exposes people to contemporary dance and builds a network of creators with hopes of future collaborations. There are independent educational projects like Teatro del Vinagre, which train people in theater, focusing on human issues close to everybody. Hopefully, there are institutions that trust creators like the Institutto Italiano di Cultura, who gave Kinesfera Danza a space to work and perform. Some people who are artists but also work as cultural agents like José Aviles. He is a contemporary dancer who contributes grants artists with space at ICPNA auditoriums to train and present their work.

We struggle to build a network of creators because many of us tend to work individually. We don’t always recognize that there are other creators. Especially between professional and non-professional trained performers. We do have a national ballet company, which is absurd for a country who has roots in other forms of dancing. We also have a national theater which shows its performances and other guest performances, but doesn’t help other creators to keep pursuing their work. The situation in Lima is fragmented. The city is large, and folk dancing and break dancing are popular. It is difficult to get a full view on the arts scene in Lima, but it’s so interesting and has the potential to have a special meaning to the people of the city and the city itself.

What was the most memorable thing about working with Bebe Miller Company in Peru? I worked with Bebe Miller Company. The most memorable thing was how open-minded they were towards the definition of dancing. It was such a pleasure to spend time with them, to experience what they wanted to share, and the way they transmitted it. There was not a vertical relationship between teachers and students nor professional dancers and us. It was more like a room full of people with different experiences of dancing with an approach that involved everyone’s uniqueness. It wasn’t just words or their speeches; they have this way of transmitting these ideas into movements, all that knowledge of how to build choreography rooted in each person individually and everyone collectively. I felt connected with their ideas which were not restricted to a specific way of moving, and with their work which involves themselves and their scenery.

Also, I remember their presences. They were such nice people. I had a great time with them. They have different backgrounds and all of them are lovely.

Please provide a brief artistic mission or artist statement about your work: As an artist I just want to bring light to human histories to stimulate empathy. I love when diverse people are together for no apparent reason and things start to happen.

List current project(s) you are working on, if any: Currently I am researching funds for an educational project that will provide educators with tools on how to teach people with disabilities in a respectful and encouraging way. I’m also in conversations to develop a project between Kinesfera Danza and Teatro del Vinagre.

Your definition of dance: That thing that happens when people encounter movement

When did you choose to work in dance? (Or when did it choose you?) I realized that dance means a lot to me when I finished dancing my first season with Kinesfera Danza. That night just before going to sleep, I started to cry like never before. Many things opened up inside of me. That was when I began accepting that I love to move and began pulling thing out of myself in creative ways.

What is your most memorable moment in the dance industry, thus far?

One of the most memorable moments was dancing in Bremen (Alemania), in the EigenARtig Festival 2018. The whole experience was amazing. I never had the chance to share with people working in mixed-abilities companies outside of Kinesfera or ConCuerpos (a mixed abilities company rooted in Bogotá, and close friends of ours). Despite the different contexts in terms of cultural and health policies, all of the companies that participated in this festival had similar experiences. Working in this field stimulates a lot of thoughts about health, dance, arts, and policies. Many people I met there were thinking the same thoughts as me.

What are your goals for your future involvement in dance/the performing arts? I want to keep doing it but gain balance between dancing, managing, and researching. I also want to get deeper into studying different dance techniques.

By Bebe Miller, Artistic Director of Bebe Miller Company

Our DMUSA excursion was completed two weeks ago. We have all returned home, stepped back into summer projects, work, cooking meals, sleeping in our own beds. I went looking for photos from the earlier days of the project and found – and remembered – this moment. It was from our second day at the Colegio del Cuerpo in Cartagena, Colombia, and we had separated into groups, each devising their own way of responding to the circumstances they had created. I look at the aliveness captured in these bodies. They are in the middle of something that clearly resonates, looking for the next moment to take form. There’s another group at the edge of the photo; the room was filled with groups of dancers becoming their own tribe. I can’t quite remember what may have come before and after this moment. The details have faded; the impact of that day has not.

The fundamental proposition of DanceMotion USA is a belief in the potential of dance as a catalyst for social inclusion and cultural exchange. We practiced this daily, person to person, body to body, rhythm to rhythm. In every workshop, master class, shared meal, rehearsal and discussion we offered our perspective on dance and partnership. In return we received and shared a deep understanding of the humanity implicit in a mutually creative act. Dancing together means thinking together, experimenting together, the surprise of connection and the intuitive meaning making that flows between people and beyond cultures. I think we were surprised – joyfully so – because we’re so often as artists primed to expect distrust of the unfamiliar, a distancing in the face of a new idea or a “different” dance. We repeatedly found an open curiosity about our work and our lives, and the invitation to freely exchange and learn from each other was humbling and powerful.

This was my first trip to South America, as it was for many of us. I ran into the limits of my imagination every day, but by truly apprehending the moment, meeting the potential of each new situation I was drawn forward. It came down to the people. We met dancers, artists, shopkeepers, children, parents, friends, translators, emissaries, a couple of alpacas, lots of dogs and one older tortoise. We were embraced, we hugged back, we cried and laughed, we danced, we tried new foods and new steps, we found quiet places, we drove through cities and barrios that functioned perfectly well, we danced some more, we woke up too early and stayed up too late, we loved it all.

By Sarah Lass, Bebe Miller Company, Dancer

The conversation arose over dinner towards the end of the trip as a group of us reflected on the various meetings and exchanges we had experienced during our time in Colombia and Peru. It was one of those conversations that ambles along on many different legs, new ideas kicking themselves forward to lead, mobilizing previous questions and proclamations, but carrying them forward with fresh intention and curiosity. Attempts to relay such discussions prove slippery—they are as unwieldy in retrospect as they are thrilling in the moment. It is nearly impossible to trace the thread of one idea back to its origin, planted, as always, somewhere between the many separate voices that fertilize it.

We were discussing partnerships in dance making and performance, specifically the interpersonal dynamics and generative potential between two individuals who come together in the spirit of collaboration, experimentation, and creation. The question arose: what is our expectation or our desire for that meeting place? Is it a place of cohesion or harmony—the discovery of some previously shrouded synchronicity and similarity—that we seek when we meet one another? Is our “common ground,” in other words, a landscape of pleasantly rolling hills, and our discovery of such ground incumbent upon the elimination of any impediment or obstacle?

Harmony can be alluring and appealing, we agreed, but not always artistically interesting nor, to take it a step forward, is it necessarily conducive to illuminating interpersonal (or intercultural) exchanges. At its most insidious, an unexamined desire for harmony—for ease, for agreement—could result in the annihilation of the differences that distinguish one person (or one culture) from another.

I suppose there is something personally revealing in these assertions, a certain perspective on communication and coexistence. I am curious about what happens when parties do not abandon their differences in search of a middle ground, but instead maintain them, emphatically so. I am curious about what happens when they do this with an awareness of the other parties involved—and a curiosity and care for them—recognizing the involvement of each in an ecosystem larger than any one party.

I’ve heard people in the company talk about all this—it is the idea of perpendicularity. What arises in the intersection between perpendicular attentions, intentions, and priorities? What happens in the meeting place between entities that, even in their convergence, work to maintain their individuality and distinction, their singular (spectacular) specificity? In this kind of interaction, might there be an opportunity for exchange that is not contingent upon consensus, but instead maintains (strengthens, even) specificity and individuality while still illuminating something larger than any one part on its own?

When improvising in dance, especially with someone one knows very well, the pull to harmony can be strong, subconscious even. The shared history between dancing bodies asserts itself into the present moment and reaches into the future. There can be an unintentional element of collective predetermination to the unfolding movement and moment.

I asked company member Darrell Jones, an artist with a longstanding creative partnership with fellow company member Angie Hauser, if he feels he is able to overcome this potential for unintentional predetermination in his work with Angie and, if so, how. His answer addressed the role of artistic director and choreographer Bebe Miller and the role of the performers, pointing to the importance of encouraging, nurturing, and/or inserting confounding elements (physical or spatial directives, theoretical frameworks, or differing attentions, for example) into the relationship, much like throwing a bit of gravel into an otherwise well-oiled, smoothly functioning machine. Unable to rely (and rest) on predictability, individuals must show up to each moment of what is happening, rediscovering it and resolving it even as they come to know something deeper about it.

Perpendicularity can nudge us (or, sometimes, catapult us) into the unknown, out of habitual or unexamined ways of moving, thinking, and being and into a place of wonder and possibility where we can become intimately reacquainted with things we thought we knew or freshly acquainted with things we never knew. The more fully we abandon ourselves to the unknown the more radical that place can become—undetermined, undefined, full of vibrant, undirected potential. The radical unknown is a place where extreme change is possible.

Cultivating the radical unknown requires the seemingly impossible and contradictory act of fully showing up with specificity and certainty while also becoming immediately porous to that which one encounters, not to become one with it, but to enter into a relationship with it, a relationship that one has not yet discovered and defined, but that is being revealed, moment-by-moment. To cultivate the radical unknown is to actively, rigorously question what is happening and to embrace how very little we know about it and about what is possible.

I feel some sweeping conclusion beckoning me towards it, but I’m not going to indulge.

By Daniel Charon, Artistic Director of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company

I’ve always had a bias toward dance as an art form. I immediately related to it as a young person, and it’s been something that’s always been a part of my life. The people in the field are some of the most passionate human beings I’ve ever met, and their world views tend to align with my own. 

Daniel with a young dancer at a master class during the Motion Mongolia International Contemporary Dance Festival

The built-in values associated with dance are transferable to every single part of life, no matter the context, and no matter if one considers herself or himself a dancer or not. Movement can have so many layers of meaning––it can serve as a vehicle for self-expression through physical and artistic means, for mutual understanding, and for therapeutic processing. Dance can be experienced in so many ways.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company with Philos Dance Company in South Korea

The values associated with dance have come into a different type of focus for me, after the DanceMotion USA residencies in Mongolia and South Korea. I always knew, but now I know, dance is the perfect art form to create a bridge between people who don’t know or understand each other. This happened over and over again while on tour. Dance utilizes movement as the primary means of expression enabling each person to have an opportunity to approach dance from a personal perspective. The mind and body are so interconnected that when the body moves or physical connections happen, the mind can become more clear, creative, or enlivened.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company with Pyeongyang Unification Art Company in South Korea

While on tour, each performance, workshop, class, and discussion had barriers to overcome and realizations to be made. We had to learn how to interact with each other. We knew we were different and that we came from different places but we also immediately understood we shared something in common––our bodies and how to move. We knew immediately how to mirror each other, how to locomote in space together, and how to share the rhythmic timing of the music. We understood the spontaneity of laughing with each other and the moments when it was appropriate to focus. It was so motivating to be in an environment where the experience encouraged giving and receiving both ways. 

Work from Korean artist Yang Mi Young

I wonder if politicians and those wielding great power in the world had stronger relationships to movement in their bodies, would they be better diplomats? Would dancing offer a more level playing field, breaking down fears and instilling a stronger sense of trust, cooperation, communication, respect, empathy and creativity? Would the elation derived from physical movement empower with a better clarity, paving the way for compromise? 

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company with the Tumen Ek Traditional Mongolian Arts Ensemble

Our company motto is “Dance is for Everybody.” I have never been so proud to stand behind such a clear statement as I was during the DanceMotion USA residencies. There is no doubt in my mind that action taken on behalf of this mantra could make our globally-connected community a better place for all.

By Bronwen MacArthur, Bebe Miller Company, Dancer

I danced in a trio today with dancers Roger and Viviana of the Kinesfera group based in Lima, Peru. The score for the dance was grounded in the work of initiating movement in your partner(s) with varying degrees of force with different parts of the body. A swipe along your partner’s arm, for example, might send them following the arm into space in the trajectory of the swiping action. Roger uses a wheelchair and dances with his chest, shoulders, neck, head and arms. And his eyes, voice, energy, wit, breath, smile and spirit. Viviana and Roger have worked together on past projects. As the three of us rotated roles—initiating, responding, keeping track of all three at once—the profound listening and intense focus and attention on each other made for a deeply felt connection and creative space. Our trio left me feeling vividly awake and emotionally/creatively overflowing. At the end of the day, we shared thoughts as a larger group and I was contemplating the idea of “exchange” that has been the backdrop of our trip. Looking around the room and feeling the work of all of us resonating in my body, I was struck by how much everyone was giving to the moment: Bebe was sharing the wealth of her observations, revealing her gift of seeing each person and relationship. The translator, Vanessa, was translating Spanish to English and back again with clarity and force. Viviana was sitting directly in front of another Kinesfera dancer, Otto, who is deaf and partly sighted, so that he could read her lips. All the dancers sat listening, reflecting on and processing their own duets and trios. The word “exchange” somehow didn’t seem adequate, didn’t seem complex and big enough to encompass all the offerings, sharing and generosity in the room that day. The experience made me reflect on the nature of exchange over the course of our time in Colombia and Peru working with so many different groups. There have been so many moments for each of us, and collectively as a company, that we take home with us. Moments of real, human connection through movement, through sharing little parts of ourselves across language and experience and circumstance. By my perception, not one group approached our time together with an energy of waiting for us to deliver a particular outcome. Again and again we were given a true openness to receiving whatever it was that we and the experience offered. And in exchange, we learned everyday what it is to be human, problem-solving and laughing and crying and moving with other humans.