The natural world has always been the source of inspiration for my projects. As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast with supporting degrees in biology and environmental science, and as an artist who draws on peripatetic learnings, I am interested in how to create multimedia projects that foster connectivity between audiences and the environment.
It is easy to get caught in the beautiful bubble of Hipster Brooklyn where it seems like everyone supports environmental causes. But I am also born and raised in the deep south and any time I travel across America I am able to see first hand that we live in a society actively disputing science and facts, especially when it comes to the environment. Where data was once the language used to protect the natural world, it is now silenced by political leaders and corporations thinly veiling their exploitative greed.
That’s why I use the power of storytelling through dance to create an emotional connection to these “inanimate objects” and bring the culture of each ecosystem to life.
My work investigates how humans have a direct impact on nature. I have a curiosity for how humans can use this impact to BENEFIT nature. Like all things in the natural world - there is a symbiotic relationship to maintain balance and equilibrium. I am interested in the power of visual dialogue through dance to create a story that affects the fundamental sense of self and what the self’s relationship to nature is. I use film and dance as a medium to enhance the beauty of the outdoors and bring the outdoors to societies that do not have an existing relationship with nature. Always putting forth the question: how can I use movement to enhance the beauty rather than distract away from the scenery?
Still image from Under Review: Gold Butte