Dana (1999) is an eternal dance of transformation; a product of diverse origins; a distinct thread within the tapestry found on the US-Mexican border.
She moves through life to the rhythm and beat
of cumbia. It is an echoing heartbeat that defines
her journey as a fronteriza. She is an artist
because of the way she sees the world and not because of the work that she is paid for. Her
purpose lies in deconstructing the fronteriza
identity, venturing into the obscure and transformative spaces where dispossession, geography, ritual, and the shadows of violence coalesce.
She recieved her Bachelor of Science in
Cultural Anthropology and Bachelor of
Arts in Dance Performance from
Muhlenberg College and recently
graduated with a Master of Fine
Arts in Devised Performance from
Arthaus Berlin and Rose Bruford College in London.
She has performed at the Black Circle Theatre in Holstebro, Denmark; ACUD Macht Neu in Berlin, Germany; Arthaus Berlin International Performance Research Center, and the McAllen Performing Arts Center, amongst other international spaces. She enjoys unfinishedness, mistranslation, multivocality (having multiple voices), ambiguity, and playfulness.
*Fronteriza: Directly translated as “borderlander”; someone who embodies two languages and cultures and moves between them.*
Her work typically includes the use of water, clay, and
seeds to craft a visceral embodiment of the
sensation of "stuck-ness." It's an arresting
sensation every person encounters when
the borders within themselves or their
surroundings are touched—a palpable
reminder of constraint. Her artistic practice
includes deep listening, long walks
in the city, observing silence, meditating,
and moving, all to prime her body to
remain in an open state for the duration
of her work.
Dana regularly collaborates with
other artists, musicians, choreographers
and writers. She often works with
producer and musicians
Hannah Flittig-Aardelen and
Renee Gamez. Among her
other collaborators are: Alejandro Rodriguez,
Li Zelin, Manishma Ruparel, and Isa Lugo-Malave.
Current projects available for booking:
Constellations: an inviting but political performance with Alejandro Rodriguez and Renee Gamez
Lejania: Ongoeing performative research that directly confronts what it means to migrate.
Part One: visual poem
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