Through her marriage of art with activism, performance with protest, the choreographer conjures a better, more interconnected world.

Over the course of three days in July, the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers hosted its 42nd annual powwow at Queens County Farm Museum. Founded in 1963 by members of the Mohawk, Hopi, Winnebago and Kuna (San Blas) tribes, Thunderbird is the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York, and puts on the city’s […]

For the first time in 84 years, this summer, “America’s longest-running outdoor symphonic drama” has stopped using redface. The Lost Colony has also promised to cast Native American roles exclusively with Indigenous people and use authentic Native American dance and music. Since last year’s Black Lives Matter protests, dance and theater organizations worldwide have pledged […]

Creating is a spiritual act for me, rooted in natu­re, formed through my link to the ances­­tors and the land of which we are made. I weave cultural concepts with scientific and philosophical theories. My work unites themes of personal and collective identity with family, matriarchy, sovereignty, equality and healing that centers the voices of […]

In Native American culture, the powwow is a beloved tradition that serves as a reunion and opportunity for Indigenous tribes to gather and celebrate their cultures. In short, it is the antithesis of COVID-19 restrictions. In spite of this challenge, the 46th-annual Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Pow Wow and Dance Concert will be held February […]

Now in its fourth season, NBC’s “World of Dance” has showcased many types of dance. “They’ve had styles from Mexico, China, Africa, break dancers, salsa dancers,” says Kenneth Shirley, founder of Phoenix-based troupe Indigenous Enterprise. But until last night, the show had neglected to feature America’s oldest homegrown dance traditions, those of Native American tribes. […]