excerpt | artist statement 2010

I am a dance in progress at all times. My life exists as a dynamic dialogue between the simultaneous happenings of things past and present, of spaces here and there. I use all forms of art, but primarily movement and the written word to navigate the intricate realities and dreams that blossom throughout my cosmic earthly ride.

I embrace the duality of my life. The complimentary and paradoxical nature of my converging identities undoubtedly lives within my one body, and often inspires questions about who I think I am. The raw source material of accepting all sides of me gives texture, substance, and infinite variation to my dance, my writing, my fashion designs, everything! My joy is stimulated by vast, wide, open spaces, both literally and figuratively. I inevitably create art that dissolves barriers, labels, and boundaries. My art stems from an underlying truth that everyone’s story/dance/voice/body/emotion is valid and essential to a whole and prosperous world.

I am a highly sensitive emotional being. The process of discovering my feelings and my relationships to space, time, people, nature, and opportunities is my spirit’s dance journey. My keen emotional awareness enables me to critically and compassionately create art that resonates deeply with humanity’s most intimate and sacred issues. I reflect the artistic and kinesthetic potentials of the human experience by allowing my art to document my own journeys towards freedom and love. Being deliberately transparent about my art-making processes nurtures a very tangible quality of my art and communicates its relevancy to diverse communities.

At my core, I am a giddy scientist and every space that I encounter is a viable laboratory for my wildest dreams. I love to experiment, and all of the art that I create is born of this zest for surprises that experimentation always delivers. I boldly dig deeper into unknowns and find myself stronger, wiser, and more powerful because of the journey. I do not believe that there is a “wrong” way to explore my art. Be it a dance, a character, an opportunity—everything in my process is worthy of my own investigation. The present moment gives me the best indication of who I am choosing to be right now, and my art courageously reflects those choices at every stage.

Photos: Colin Danville, July 2010