I have always struggled with communicating my thoughts into written word. As an artist that lives with mental health conditions, I feel things very deeply and passionately. So much so, that words don’t fully encompass my internal experience. This is an attempt to explain what I can't explain...

 

My choreography encapsulates the emotional life of someone with a mental health challenge. I explore how that experience can be conveyed  using  just the physical form. Tension, release, breath, and control are the physical sensations discussed most often in my rehearsals. Overriding everything however, is a deeply felt  vulnerability and transparency.  Specifically in the darker moments of our lives. We live in a culture where we can pick and choose what aspects of our lives are seen by others. This often leads people to believe that their authentic selves are not enough and that they are alone in their suffering. I use dance to peel back the curtain and highlight both the beauty and nightmares that occur when we are alone with ourselves.

 

As someone who  struggles with Bipolar II Disorder, OCD, and anxiety. The concepts for my work are inspired from lived experience and is my way of understanding myself and the world around me. 

 

I use this lived experience in my work as a  NAMI NYC Helpline Associate where I spend my days supporting New Yorkers  with a mental health condition and their families. After four years of doing this, it has become strikingly apparent that while we are all grappling with similar emotional hurdles, there is a severe lack of  communication with each other about these struggles.  I aim to use my dance pieces to break hearts open by creating space for empathy, self-reflection, connection and acceptance.