It’s safe to say that most of us didn’t anticipate the first half of 2020 to go the way it has. Our lives have changed drastically in the past few months, some more than others. Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic modified nearly all aspects of our daily routines, but a national movement supporting black lives and opposing police brutality has ignited. The heartbreaking murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has stirred global attention towards police brutality and racial inequity in America. There have been protests in solidarity with George Floyd in all 50 states and at least 40 additional countries on nearly every continent. Anger towards this grueling act of police brutality has transformed into a larger revolution against systemic racism that’s gone on for too long in the United States.
Read MoreAs a chunky Asian baby in a leotard, I had no idea yet how precious or valuable I was when I started in ballet. Instead, I only saw that I was clearly not cut from the same cloth as elegant princesses and swans whose dancing I admired. The chance to don yellowface in the Chinese variation during "The Nutcracker," or to be a kowtowing, shuffling child in "The King and I" in the school play felt like places I was welcome to exist—to shine—as a child who dreamed of being onstage.
Read MoreOperating in an industry with rigidly defined expectations and boundaries can take a toll on a person, particularly during an impressionable period in one’s life like childhood. Local dancer and choreographer Robbi Moore opens up on defying the status quo in the dance industry and providing transparency to performers.
Read MoreYoungsters eager to learn dance in the greater Seattle area are always in luck, as the Pacific Northwest abounds with high-quality dance studios eager to take on more students. However, adults with the same enthusiasm aren’t often as fortunate. Most dance studios across the region offer dance classes up until the age of 18, after which students are expected to move on to more professional training or get a non-dance-related job and move on with their lives. Luckily, Karena Birk and the rest of the team at Dance Fremont are providing high-quality, affordable dance education to youth and adults to foster the passion for dance in people of all ages and identities.
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