It was in rehearsal for “Parallel Lives” choreographed by @garyabbott56 that I broke down crying while dancing during a run through of the piece. The work was about women struggling to survive in an unjust world. My solo (pictured here) was called the warrior, a woman that got pushed down but got back up and kept fighting. While dancing I had the realization of how much the character I was portraying was in fact me and my experience as a black woman in this world. My suppressed emotions came to the surface in that rehearsal. It is my hope that positive change and racial justice will occur. I pray the horrific deaths of so many people of color will not be in vain.🙏🏾📷Brett Pruitt #blacklivesmatter

joshua bodden and naomi tanioka photographed performing in the nutcracker by brett pruitt

naomi tanioka and joshua bodden photographed performing in swan lake by brett pruitt

liang fu and whitney huell photographed performing as prince siegfried and prince siegfried’s guest in swan lake by brett pruitt 

whitney huell and the rest of the artists photographed performing as snow attendants in the nutcracker by brett pruitt

whitney huell and gavin abercrombie photographed performing in val caniparoli's lady of the camellias by brett pruitt