The Shared Language of Movement:
Inquiry and Inclusion

My work as a creative is rooted in a single, unwavering conviction: that dance is a universal language of connection, capable of crossing boundaries that seem impenetrable. I create not merely to perform, but to open the artform as an accessible lens through which we can examine our shared humanity—our experiences of fear, trust, love, and the fragility that binds us.

At the heart of my practice is the building of inclusive spaces. I actively work to create environments where artists who identify as ALAANA and LGBTQ+ can push the boundaries of their virtuosity and see themselves fully represented. This drive for inclusion is not a separate mission but the very fabric of my making; every choreographic choice carries the nuance of connection over hierarchy, honoring dance’s ancestral and communicative roots.

I pursue this through a rigorous, dual inquiry into both movement and cognition. Improvisation is my primary performative and compositional tool—a technique of critical consciousness that explores the mind-body connection. I research the cognitive resonance between what is choreographed and what is improvised, developing methodologies that use somatic stimuli, breath work, and vibrational influence to help performers cross mental and physical boundaries. This practice, a kind of dance meditation, reveals the associations between emotion and body memory, allowing intention to surface through the rigor of the creative process itself.

My physical vocabulary is grounded in a specific syntax: the use of a curved or neutral spine, cross-lateral initiation of the extremities, and spiraling of the body. These fundamentals are more than technique; they are a method for processing, generating, and comprehending movement in a way that keeps our dialogue open and our communication universal.

Equally essential is the act of sparking discourse. I constantly search for language—shared between allies and adversaries alike—to cultivate an effective dialogue around my artistic choices. My work attacks contemporary quandaries and challenges normative body archetypes, always aiming to incite conversation and scrutinize how we are all affected. Collaboration is the cornerstone of this exchange; each partnership becomes a springboard that deepens my connections overall and introduces me to new synchronicities, transforming the studio into a site of both aesthetic and social negotiation.

Ultimately, I challenge myself to create movement whose purpose reveals itself through the work, trusting that this method will always pose the necessary questions. Every gesture I make is an offer of opportunity—an invitation to come with me, to see the world through a widening lens, and to remember that dance, in its purest physical expression, can navigate not only the stage, but life itself.

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Photo of Faith Johnson

Credit: Zoey Tiller

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