Performing History: Bailes as Storytelling

Photo by Maria Smith. In mid-September I was drawn away from my lab work by the sounds of traditional Andean Huayno music to the plaza of Hualla, Peru, where I am staying during an archaeological field expedition. The pueblo of Hualla is a small town tucked in the...

Think Global: Lessons from Botswana

Flights give me a lot of time to think, especially since I have the unfortunate gift of never being able to sleep a mile above the ground. As I left the Gaborone, Botswana airport and began the long journey back home, I settled into my unconscious mind and attempted...

Ballet for Girls: What is the Pointe?

For as long as I can remember, I have been captivated by ballet. The idea of being able to gracefully twirl around on my toes was my greatest girlhood dream. However, far from being the elegant, poised dancer to which many girls aspire, my legs would be wobbling and...

Dytto: Girl Culture in Hip-Hop

When I was a child, I loved dolls. Marketers often seem to assume that girls only play with dolls in particular ways: pretending to be adult women, getting married or going shopping. This was never on the agenda for me. I used my dolls to act out stories, and since I...

Breaking barriers in toe shoes

My goal has always been to be a principal dancer with ABT [American Ballet Theater]. Before I knew that there’d never been a black woman that was always my goal. I wanted to dance “Odette-Odile” and Kitri in Don Quixote and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty....

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